Body in septic tank: Appeal court reduces sentences of convicted killers

Convicted killers Anthony De Paul Hope and Ralph Tyndall will serve revised prison sentences following a ruling by the Court of Appeal on Wednesday. The case was heard virtually via Zoom, presided over by Justices of Appeal Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud, with the session led by Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards.

Hope and Tyndall had initially been sentenced to 62 years and 55 years, respectively, in 2015 for the brutal 2007 murder of 56-year-old Colleen Forrester, whose body was discovered stuffed in a septic tank at a property in Campbellville, Georgetown.
Following their appeals, Hope’s sentence has been adjusted to 37 years, and Tyndall’s to 32 years. Both sentences are to be reduced by the time the men have already spent in pre-trial custody.
During Wednesday’s hearing, the Court of Appeal acknowledged the need for proportional sentencing that factors in the men’s potential for rehabilitation and their lack of prior convictions.
The case had originally shocked the nation due to the disturbing details surrounding Forrester’s death. A caretaker for her brother’s property, she was last seen on December 27, 2007, before her body was found on January 6, 2008, wrapped in a sheet and submerged in the septic tank of the William Street residence. A post-mortem examination revealed that Forrester had been strangled and suffered blunt trauma to the head, with the murder weapon believed to be a pestle.

Hope, who was Forrester’s nephew and resided at the property where her body was discovered, was arrested and subsequently implicated alongside Tyndall. The men were found guilty in a jury trial before now Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George, SC.
The appeals process has been closely followed, as both Hope and Tyndall’s lawyers argued that the original sentences were excessively harsh given their clients’ backgrounds and potential for reform. Attorneys Ronald Daniels and Madan Kissoon represented Tyndall, while Melvin Duke acted on behalf of Hope. Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Diana Kaulesar-O’Brien represented the State in opposing the appeals.
The case also involves Kevin O’Neil, a third man initially charged alongside Hope and Tyndall, who was acquitted after a no-case submission was upheld during the trial. The State later appealed O’Neil’s acquittal, although efforts to contact him for further hearings have been complicated by his reported change of address. The court later ordered that O’Neil be notified through public announcements. (G9)