Woman chopped to death in Belize City; did her brother do it?

Tonight there is a most disturbing case of fratricide to report involving a pair of siblings in the King’s Park community. A brother reportedly hacked his sister with a machete and within twenty-four hours she was dead. On Sunday, twenty-nine-year-old Julian Burke was entering her home near the corners of First and Saint Peter Streets when she was waylaid by a younger brother who inflicted multiple chop wounds to her head, arms and other parts of the body.  It is unclear what triggered the deadly assault on Burke which occurred in the presence of her six-year-old son.  According to Burke’s common-law husband J.D. Funes, he was away at work in the Cayo District when he was informed of the brutal attack.  Upon returning to Belize City, he found Burke comatose at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where he observed that her arm was also partially severed at the wrist.  Despite all attempts to save Burke’s life, she succumbed shortly before midday today.  Her sibling, identified as Elijah Burke, remains on the lam and is being sought by Belize City Police.  News Five spoke with the grief-stricken husband following her death.

J.D. Funes, Common-law Husband of Deceased

J.D. Funes

“The witnesses that saw what occurred, they say that she came and she walked inside and her brother was waiting for her by the coconut tree and when she came to swing the key to open that’s when he hit the first strike. And I get to know all of that through her son, that’s what hurts me the most that her little boy, Ashley Saw how mommy died “passed away.” And I guess she cried and jumped and came to this window and that is how the neighbor got to know and she crawled but the neighbor came out of the other side instead of following her, he came out of this side and continues chopping her here. I guess when he chopped her here, this piece of her arm start to hang, she ran to the street that’s when the neighbors start notifying what this noise is all about. Everybody knows, I usually argue with she but not to those levels and I was at the sugar mill at Cayo trying to survive, trying to take care of her stepson, her and myself. And I received the messed up news about 6:30 I guess stating that she was on dying. I took it as a joke honestly because I just kissed her, I just hugged her about 4 hours ago and that was it. When I saw her, she was already in come I tried talking to her but she just moved. I wish she would just open her eye but it wasn’t that way. Even if I prayed it wasn’t that way.”

Isani Cayetano

“Tell us what you know about the brother Elijah; where they know to have had any differences with each other? Tell us what you know about the individual.”

J.D. Funes

“Well, this guy he came here couple nights, chill here bout some food for us but I guess he was already planning what he was going to do so I guess the best way was mingling with us so he can see or study the moves so to speak and then he came another night. From I met him I felt this sensation. Julie she is an angel, she was no it’s my brother she gave her a couple slippers, I gave her a couple pants to the guy and I guess he never needed them, I guess his plan was to study how the place is what he can do and what he cannot do. He stole a purse with her personal belonging which was only documents and I guess it was concerning that, they argued at her older sister home. Like I said I was in Cayo I didn’t know anything until I came and saw her shut down. I talked to her, I tried my best but sometimes your plans are not God plans and I still feel like it’s a dream. I think it’s a dream I don’t think it is real. I mean in front of your nephew, you know I didn’t like her son before but with time I start realize you know what his father doesn’t really help and I don’t need his help so I will take him under my wing and we were living the cool like and now this crap. She is gone, the little boy can’t stay with me because he is not my real son and now it’s just me in my apartment.”