Rivers found guilty of murdering Seymour at Super C’s
William Ian Rivers
(CNS): It took a jury less than three hours on Monday to find William Ian Rivers (39) guilty of murdering Mark Travis “Hubba” Seymour in January 2017 at a West Bay restaurant, after the local man had denied murder claiming diminished responsibility. Rivers had admitted shooting Seymour but claimed it was manslaughter, not murder, because of his state of mind as he rode up to Super C’s restaurant on a bicycle and shot Seymour in the head and body in front of several witnesses, before riding away and barricading himself in his home with his girlfriend, children and her family members.
Rivers’ defence team had argued that he was not of sound mind at the time of the killing because he was stressed from losing his job and income to support his family. He had been drinking heavily, and witnesses told the court that he had been depressed and had been awake for five days before he shot Seymour.
Rivers had reportedly learned that, under financial pressure, his girlfriend had approached Seymour, an ex-boyfriend of hers from several years before the incident, to borrow money because of the family’s financial difficulties, which had sent Rivers into a rage. While a number of medical experts had all agreed that Rivers was struggling with mental health problems, they all differed over the degree of his mental capacity.
The defence told the jury that Rivers’ actions indicated that he was not of sound mind, pointing to several witness accounts of his erratic behaviour in the days before the shooting, the fact that he had made no effort to disguise his identity, had shot Seymour in front of many people and had tried to shoot down the police helicopter with a hand gun, before barricading himself in the house with his family.
But the crown had argued that while Rivers may have been stressed and depressed, he knew very well what he had done and had deliberately set out to shoot Seymour because of his anger about the communication between him and his girlfriend over money.
Following the guilty decision by the six men and women who were on the jury, the case was adjourned until 26 October for sentencing. A social inquiry and a victim impact statement were ordered ahead of the hearing, where the time Rivers will serve for a life sentence before he is eligible to be considered for parole will be determined.
It sounds like justice was done in this case but this tragedy began long before the actual murder. Somehow this cycle of senseless violence needs to be broken before the violence. I don’t know the individuals but those who do probable have insight into the causes for this waste of humanity.
Where Mr. Seymour got killed money were sure well a charm at the time young girls and boys hanging around not going to school and who were of the age to work were distracted from seeking employment. There were illegal activities such as under age drinking, signs of prostituition, the smell of ganja and other signs of illegal activities and most of the adults that were in the presence were charmed by the money so they just happily stood there and watched or joined the activities. The police had to be in that hangout spot all of the time for some sort of disturbance and the problems. That hangout spot were aired on several occassions on the cayman medias such as the talk show. May the family of Mr. Seymour continue to be blessed and all of the hurt be peacefully placed in hands of our god almighty.
As clear as mud.
I heard of drive by shootings but never ride by shootings on a bicycle. Truly something is wrong with this miscriant. We all have problems big and small. We all make decisions good and bad. I agree cold blooded murder not manslaughter.
This was a clear cut manslaughter case. A timely appeal should take care of the Jury’s misguided verdict.
the legal capacity for Manslaughter is that you killed the person by accident.
That was no accident, even in the heat of rage it was still though out to go get a weapon of that capacity and ride up to road to shoot someone.
I suffer from chronic depression from I was a teenager but you don’t see you riding around shooting and killing people.
he took a life, so now he need to forfeit his freedom.
R.I.P. Hubbs. This won’t change the hurt that family and friends still endure, but at least there might be a little comfort knowing that there was Justice. Give that monster the maximum sentence !!
Justice? For who?
One dead, one in jail. Same ol’ sad song.
Until we put down violence as a means to an end, until we stop the blood shed nothing changes.
Holding a gun and pointing it at someone is more of a reflection of your insecurities than your strengths. Pulling the trigger and taking a life even worse. None of us can give life back….so why do we so passively take when we are in no position to give!
RIP to all those who have passed away by gang violence and stupidity.
Please send our longterm storage and highly dangerous thugs off-island far away to serve their time divorced from the local gang management, and free up space in Northward for our inbound politicians.
Isn’t this guy caymanian?
Build the wall!
Calm down Trum-pet.
You look at the picture of above and wonder “for someone who didn’t have a job, he sure had a lot of jewelry”!!! Hopefully he will be put away for a very long time!!!
I too often wonder when persons get on TV and publication draped in bought hair, bought finger nails and oodles of jewelry claiming they are struggling and cannot put food on the table. If all that jewelry is not costume it should be sold and given to the treasury of the country. Wannabe gangster should get his comeuppance for sure.
Justice served. 30 years should be about right.
Make it 60 years!
Deportation order!
7:47. Caymanian you moron! Deport him where? Mars? If only we could though
We’ve shipped off lesser felons.
Caymanian ones? Ya right.
You are an ASS.If you have nothing to contribute,shut the f@#$ up.Someone was Murdered.you piece of sh@#.R.I.P my friend.
Strange, normally victim camps would approve of sending the convicted murderer far away…