A former United States soldier convicted of killing a man who allegedly taunted him over a romantic relationship could be released soon, after a Trinidad High Court judge on Monday reduced his sentence from 23 years to 10 years in prison with hard labour.
Justice Naline Singh ruled that prison authorities would determine whether Kameel Seepersad, who has already served a significant portion of his sentence, should be released immediately. The sentence reduction factored in Seepersad’s guilty plea, time served, and mitigating circumstances.
Originally charged with the murder of Rishi Sankar on June 27, 2016, Seepersad was allowed to plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter in May, following a plea deal with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). The deal was accepted on the basis of provocation.
According to court proceedings, Seepersad confessed to killing Sankar after the man allegedly provoked him with taunts about Seepersad’s girlfriend. The confrontation escalated into violence, during which Seepersad chopped Sankar. He later wrapped the body in plastic, disposed of it in a river along with two cutlasses and the clothes he wore during the killing.
Seepersad told investigators that Sankar had struck him with a piece of wood during the altercation, which took place by a gate. He then placed the body in the trunk of a car and drove to the Manzanilla River on Trinidad’s east coast, where he discarded the weapons.
Acting on Seepersad’s information, police recovered Sankar’s decomposed body on July 14, 2016, in Piparo, Central Trinidad. The body was wrapped in a burgundy cloth, bound with a cable cord, and had plastic bags over its head and feet. A post-mortem confirmed multiple chop wounds to the head, and DNA tests later verified the identity as Sankar.
After being cautioned on October 7, 2016, Seepersad expressed remorse. He was officially charged with murder four days later.
During sentencing, Justice Singh considered several mitigating factors, including Seepersad’s clean prior record, his participation in prison rehabilitation programmes, and an apology letter he wrote to Sankar’s family accepting responsibility for his actions and asking for forgiveness.
Seepersad’s attorneys, Jason Jackson and Krysan Rambert, argued that the killing was not premeditated and that Seepersad acted alone under provocation. They also noted that he was 27 at the time of the incident and is the father of two children.
Born in Trinidad, Seepersad had migrated to the United States as a teenager and enlisted in the U.S. Army at 19, serving four years at the rank of private before returning to Trinidad.
While in prison, Seepersad enrolled in the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) exams, became an avid reader, and received training in steel fabricating.
Justice Singh concluded that the reduction in sentence was appropriate given the circumstances and rehabilitation efforts. It now falls to the prison authorities to determine when Seepersad will be released.
