A 34-YEAR-OLD man from Valencia has been acquitted of murder after the State failed to produce sufficient evidence to support its case.

On Thursday, Justice Sherene Murray-Bailey allowed Lincoln Edwards to walk free at the end of a judge-alone trial. He had been charged with the murder of Lawrence Wayne Lopez, who was shot dead on September 21, 2020.

During the course of the trial, the prosecution's case suffered a series of setbacks. A key piece of evidence relied upon by the State was ruled inadmissible after submissions were made by the defence, significantly weakening the prosecution's position.