Marcus Thomas (left) and Kevan Townsend (right) were found guilty of murder this month (Picture: The Namibian)
Two men who first met in prison have been convicted of murder after travelling 8,000 miles to kill a man in cold blood.
Marcus Thomas, 38, and Kevan Townsend, 37 were found guilty of shooting 25-year-old Andre Heckmair in the head on January 7, 2011, in Windhoek, Namibia.
The two Americans – who had spent 12 years behind bars in the southern African country waiting for their verdict – finally received the news at the beginning of this month.
Their shockingly long detention has made waves across in communities in the US, with many expressing anger over how long the men have been in custody without a conviction.
Namibian courts have cited multiple reasons for the 12-year delay, including the Covid pandemic, but they also claim many of the setbacks have been ‘on the part of the accused’.
Just before their trial started in November 2014, Thomas tried to escape the Windhoek Correctional Facility and got stuck on a razor wire fence.
Marcus Thomas after he was caught trying to escape from jail on November 3 in 2014 (Picture: AP)
In that time, the pair have fired more than five defence lawyers throughout their trial and made several applications for Judge Christie Liebenberg to be recused.
Meanwhile, Thomas tried to have himself declared unfit to stand trial, but it was refused on October 19, 2016, after he underwent two rounds of psychiatric observation.
At least two bail applications were also dismissed and some evidence was ruled inadmissible.
In response to his son’s jailtime, Townsend’s dad, Roger Bonds, has been campaigning with the slogan ‘#FreeKevan’ to build support for his son.
He claims Kevan has not been given a fair trial and argues that he should be dealt with separately to Thomas.
It’s a campaign that last year garnered attention from global superstar Sean Combs, currently known as Diddy Love, who has worked with Roger in the hip hop industry for over 15 years.
According to local media, the famous rapper, also known as P Diddy, posted his support for his ‘long-time’ friend on Intstagram in August 2021 – although his account no longer shows posts from before this year.
The Namibian reports that Diddy wrote: ‘Kevan Townsend was arrested and put in prison for a murder without having any witnesses or evidence linking him to the crime.
‘There is no reason why a person can be stripped of their freedom for over a decade without ever seeing a judge. All he wants is a fair trial!!!’
Once the case got underway in November 2014, prosecutors said Thomas and Townsend flew to Namibia on December 27, 2010, after organising for two gun barrels and a silencer to be posted there from Finland, labelled as furniture parts.
When Thomas and Townsend arrived in Namibia, they started searching for a 9mm pistol to fit their accessories but eventually settled on a 7.65mm gun – the same weapon used to kill their victim.
The reason for the attack is not officially known, but Andre’s mum, Birgit, told the court she believed it was because her son dated Thomas’ ex-girlfriend, Christene Bruhwiler.
Andre had reportedly met her in 2007 while studying in Switzerland before he spent some time in 2010 working in New York – where Thomas and Townsend lived – before returning to his home in Namibia.
A laptop found at the guest house Thomas and Townsend were staying at in Windhoek had a photo of Andre and Christene as the screensaver, the court was told.
On the day he died, Andre was out with his family when his mum received a text message saying there were two Americans trying to get hold of him.
Birgit told how her son dropped her and her daughter off at their family restaurant ‘in a hurry’, supposedly to meet the two Americans for lunch. His family never saw him again.
The pair reportedly met in jail in New York (Picture: The Namibian)
When emergency services rushed to try and save Andre, they found that his phone and wallet with 100 Swiss francs in it were missing.
Other hearings detailed how Andre was said to owe money to either Thomas or Townsend, or both, while some US coverage has since suggested that the three men were involved in a diamond-selling deal.
The two murderers first met in prison in the US, after Thomas was jailed for breaking into Andre’s flat there.
Chief inspector Felix Ndikoma, who investigated Andre’s murder, told the court he believed Thomas had agreed to pay for Townsend’s bail in early December 2010, just before their trip to Namibia.
More: Trending
Thomas and Townsend, who did not testify in their own defence, asked to be discharged after the case was closed – given that they had already spent so long behind bars.
However Judge Liebenberg dismissed the request and declared them guilty on counts of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and the possession of a firearm and ammunition without a licence.
Thomas was also convicted of importing firearm parts into Namibia and attempting to defeat or obstruct the course of justice while Townsend was convicted of possession of firearm barrels without a licence.
They will be sentenced next month.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.