By Artesia Davis - The Nassau Guardian

September 4, 2013

An accused serial killer who shot a man to death 23 years ago has been resentenced to 55 years in prison.

Cyril Darville, 51, yesterday apologized to God, his victim’s family and his family and the Commonwealth of The Bahamas when he appeared before Senior Justice Jon Isaacs to be resentenced for the 1990 murder of Anthony Feaste.

Darville was given the mandatory death penalty when a jury convicted him of Feaste’s murder in August 1992. Darville was charged with the murders of eight other hackers, but he was only tried for Feaste’s murder.

The death sentence was eventually commuted to life by the Prerogative of Mercy.

However, both sentences were invalidated by a 2006 Privy Council decision that determined that the mandatory death penalty was unlawful.

At the re-sentencing hearing, probation officer Janice McKenzie said Darville expressed remorse for his crime.

She said although prison guards gave glowing reports of his progress in prison, he could be hiding his true character from the guards as he hid his crimes from his family and coworkers.

Isaacs said he agreed with McKenzie’s assessment as Darville’s previous convictions for armed robbery and possession of a firearm showed he had a “propensity for weaponry” as Feaste “had been dispatched with a firearm”.

Isaacs continued, “Your previous convictions did nothing to deter you from the path at which you had set your feet — that of criminality. You’ve had your second chance.”

Isaacs sentenced Darville to 55 years to take effect from the date of his conviction.

Darville’s lawyer, Dorsey McPhee, had asked the court to impose an additional five years in prison.

On the other hand, Koschina Marshall, the prosecutor, said that a sentencing range of 30 to 60 years was appropriate.

Accused serial killer appears for resentencing

A man who has spent more than 20 years in prison after being convicted of murder appeared before a Supreme Court judge yesterday to be resentenced.

Cyril Darville, 50, a former butcher at City Market, received the mandatory death sentence on August 13, 1992 for the shooting death of Ray Anthony Feaste, 27, in 1990.

His body was found on a track road off Gladstone Road on March 17, 1990.

Feaste, a hacker or unlicensed taxi driver, was last seen alive on March 10, 1990.

Darville was charged with the murders of eight other hackers at age 28, but he was only tried for Feaste’s murder.

Authorities read a death warrant to Darville in 1996, but his execution was stayed on the grounds that he was insane.

In 2006, the Privy Council ruled that the mandatory death sentence was unconstitutional. The ruling invalidated the sentences imposed upon murder convicts prior to the decision.

Darville’s lawyer, Dorsey McPhee, said that Darville’s death sentence was commuted to life in 1997.

Senior Justice Jon Isaacs said since the original sentence was rendered void by the Privy Council decision, the commutation on which it was predicated also fell away necessitating a new sentence.

However, prosecutor Ambrose Armbrister queried whether Darville needed to be resentenced.

Armbrister said he needed to research Darville’s appellate history to determine whether the life sentence was an executive order or imposed by the court.

Armbrister said if the life sentence was a judicial order the resentencing would not be necessary.

He said his inquiries should be completed by Friday.

Isaacs adjourned the matter to September 3, the day after Darville’s 51st birthday.

Convicted murderer Cyril Darville on his way to court.
(Photo Ahvia J. Campbell - The Nassau Guardian - 2013)

Convicted murderer Cyril Darville on his way to court.
(Photo Ahvia J. Campbell - The Nassau Guardian - 2013)