Roaring Creek Reels In Wake of Ongoing Bloodbath

The brutal slayings of two Roaring Creek men, just a day apart, has shocked the small community, and indeed the nation. Twenty-eight year old Edilberto Madrid went missing on Sunday, his body discovered on Tuesday floating in the Belize River. Fifty-one year old Steven Hyde was likely killed Monday night, his body discovered in a shallow grave on Wednesday. Both men were terribly mutilated in similar fashion. Both men were close affiliates of notorious figure Russell Hyde, whose wife, Roselia Galvez, was shot and killed last week Wednesday. Madrid’s body was found in proximity to Hyde’s farm, and Steven Hyde’s body was actually found on Hyde’s farm. Today, a community is fearful, affected families are grieving and angry, and the Police are trying to make sense of certainly the most bizarre murders in Belize’s history. Mike Rudon was in Roaring Creek today and has the story.

Mike Rudon, Reporting

When we left Roaring Creek Wednesday evening, Steven Hyde’s family was preparing to bury their loved one, his mutilated body discovered in a shallow grave just hours before. Today the grief is strong, and memories of their last moments together plague Steven’s mother, Viola Spence.

Viola Spence

Viola Spence, Mother of Steven Hyde

“When he gawn the evening he seh mommy I want wah hammock. I tell ah I have one so I tek di hammock and I give ah. He seh well den I gwein. He seh I noh know when I wah see unu again. You know dey kinda feeling. When he gawn di evening, when ih gawn up deh, cause ih work with Russell Hyde, the cattleman and da inna da place dey find di body of my son. Soh ih seh ma, I wah lef dis place because too much thing deh happen ya.”

Spence says that after Steven wasn’t seen on Tuesday, the family filed a missing person’s report, and Police came to her home asking if she knew if her son had been threatened. She told them no, but said maybe they could look for him on Russell Hyde’s farm, where he worked and lived most of the time. And that’s when Police made the grisly discovery.

Howell Gillett

Supt. Howell Gillett, Officer Commanding, Belmopan

“It is on a farm, behind a farm, maybe about two hundred yards from the George Price Highway, and it was in a shallow grave.”

Viola Spence

“He seh wen they tek ah out they saw off the two foot, something with wah saw, neat. And ih two hand, and cut off the head, and then they cut up all inna ih belly and I seh Mista dat hard fu me. How they wah cut up mi son like that. I can’t tek it.”

Steven Hyde

The shock of her son’s violent death is almost too much for this mother to bear. But she is determined to stay strong and to find out why her son died in such a horrible manner, and also, how his first cousin, Russell Hyde, is connected to his death.

Viola Spence

“My daughter she faint weh bout four time. But I tell dey kip up because if I could…I know ih hurt mi because da my son. But the condition ah weh ih get…I noh know…I noh think my son due that. How dey wah saw off ih two foot, ih hand and ih head? Dat daw ah hard moment fu me. I neva even gawn see ih body. Wen they bring ah ya ih done deh decompose. Dat supposed to be the Monday night they done kill ah…the same night ih lef from we.”

Mike Rudon

“And you seh wen ih lef ya di Monday night he was heading to Russell farm?”

Viola Spence

“Yes…ih seh ma I gwein da Russell farm, and they find ah back ah Russell house.”

Marina Bejerano

Just minutes away from this home, another mother grieves, clutching a photo of her son. Edilberto Madrid was discovered floating in the Belize River by his family. He had been cut into pieces. Today his mother laments the fact that when her son recently went to Guatemala, she begged him not to come back, but he still did.

Marina Bejerano, Mother of Edilberto Madrid (Translated)

“He has a photo inside that my daughter brought back from Guatemala, when he was having lunch with her and she told him, brother, don’t go back to Belize. My mom called and said…don’t go back to Belize…to stay here in Guatemala. But he said that he would go because he had to go sign bail, and he wasn’t afraid because he was born here, and said that even if they don’t want me there I was born there. He said that, and he came.”

Edilberto Madrid

So is the murder of Madrid related to that of Hyde? On the streets of Roaring Creek that is a certainty, as is the belief that the murder of Roselia Galvez, Russell Hyde’s common-law-wife, is likewise a related factor. The Police, naturally, are being cautious with details so early in the investigation.

Supt. Howell Gillett

“There is indication that they could be related, but our investigation I would say is very encouraging so far and is progressing smoothly. We here in Belmopan believe that the two last murders are related, but to say that the first one of Ms. Galvez is related…I have no evidence to show that yes it is related, but that’s the thinking at this time.”

Russell Hyde

A butcher by profession, Russell Hyde has been detained since Tuesday, along with two other men. On the streets, the belief is that Madrid was killed because it is believed he played some role in the murder of Roselia Galvez. Steven Hyde, it is believed, may have seen too much, perhaps even the murder of Madrid, and was killed to ensure his silence. But all that is speculation at this point. And while the murders seem eerily similar, the Police say they are different.

Supt. Howell Gillett

“I wouldn’t say they are similar. They are different. What we believe is that the first killing was a revenge killing, and the second led from the first one. The first incident led to the second one, without going into the details because there is an active investigation and I wouldn’t want to do anything to jeopardize the investigation so far.”

Sources told us today that Hyde’s legs, arms and head were cut off so he could fit into the shallow grave, but he was killed with a single shot to the head. All those details are only a source of pain to two mothers still in shock, but trying to keep strong.

Roselia Galvez

Viola Spence

“I noh know weh happen to mi son. He work hard. He seh mommy I gwein go look fu wah next job cause I noh like come when I noh have money fu bring fu mi ma. And just like dat Steven gawn.”

Marina Bejerano (Translated)

“I leave it in the hands of God. It’s been three years since I put everything in God’s hands. Only in him!”

Mike Rudon for News Five.

Police were able to confirm, without giving details, that they have items which were seized in the search and which will help to close the case. A black Toyota pickup belonging to Russell Hyde, the same one in which Roselia Galvez was killed just over a week ago, was impounded on Wednesday night.