TESHA Miller, the reputed leader of the feared Spanish Town-based Klansman gang, was yesterday freed of murder in the Home Circuit Court, following a decision by the prosecution not to offer any further evidence against him.

The move brought the trial to an unexpected end, less than two hours after its commencement.

The prosecution's decision to discontinue the matter was based on the fact that it was unable to link Miller to the April 7, 2004 murder of Robert Haughton on St John's Road in Spanish Town.

Following the prosecution's decision, which came after the testimony of Detective Sergeant Asa Leslie, Justice Norma McIntosh directed jurors to return a formal verdict of not guilty in favour of Miller.

The acquittal comes just months after the 28-year-old Miller was cleared in similar fashion in the triple murder of Oraine Jackson, Jeffery Johnson, and Nicole Allen in Braeton, St Catherine on January 14, 2005.

The prosecution was pursuing yesterday's case under Section 31 of the Evidence Amendment Act, as the sole witness in the matter was murdered in St Elizabeth after giving several statements to the police. The prosecution was also relying on voice recognition to pin Miller to the murder.

The witness, a taxi driver named Jason Cranston, had said in his statements to the police that on the day of Haughton's murder, April 7, Miller, whom he said was also known as 'Rat', called and asked him to take two men to St John's Road.

Cranston said that after dropping off one of the men at the location he heard several explosions while he was in the process of turning the vehicle. He never saw the actual shooting.

Haughton's body was discovered moments later with gunshot wounds.

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