O.W. murder: Love triangle or mix-up?
It was one of five murders we reported following an unusually lethal weekend, but the killing of a young man in Orange Walk was not the result of robbery, sudden passion or drunken vengeance. In fact, the motive remains shrouded in mystery with the only witness unable or unwilling to provide police with much assistance. News 5’s Patrick Jones is just back from Orange Walk and Crooked Tree where he tried to connect the dots.
Patrick Jones, Reporting
The grieving mother, like police, is still puzzled over the execution style murder of eighteen-year-old Russel Tillett. According to his mother, Ruby Perriott, Tillett frequently visited with his seventeen year old Orange Walk girlfriend and this weekend was no exception.
Ruby Perriott, Mother of the Deceased
“She said that three men came out. Three Spanish descent men came, told them to get out of the car, ordered them out, put them face down in front of the car on the ground, bind-folded the girl and tied them up.”
While on the ground and apparently trying to assure his girlfriend that everything will be all right, Tillett was shot at point blank range in the back of the head. And while the police have no solid leads in the case, Perriott says conversations with the Muffles College student give them reason to believe that she knows more than she’s saying.
Ruby Perriott
“That is why my belief is because we went to the girl’s home and a guy that went with us asked the young lady if she had any Spanish boyfriend. All that the girl responded, she shook her head and told us yes. And the mother answered yes, she had one, but they didn’t have any hard feelings with one another. They still talk with one another, so, I don’t know.”
The blood stained grass on the riverbank, marks where Tillett’s life ended on Sunday night. The sound of a single gunshot piercing the tranquillity of the night around 10:45 alerted residents of the Louisiana area that something horrible had taken place. A short time later, the scantily dressed teenager stumbled out of the darkness to ask for help.
Patrick Jones
“Orange Walk police are still trying to piece together the sequence of events that led to the murder of Russell Tillett at this well known trysting area. And as the investigation proceeds, authorities find themselves asking more questions than there are answers at this time.”
The blue Mazda car that Tillett and his girlfriend were hanging out in is now parked at the Orange Walk police station. Perriott says his son borrowed the car from a friend, Tyrone Middleton, to go to Sugar City on Sunday. While police are waiting for the vehicles owner to claim his property, up to news time the Crooked Tree resident had still not made the trip to Orange Walk. Police say a warrant for his detention may be issued shortly. Which brings up another possible scenario: that Tillett’s murder might be a case of mistaken identity.
Patrick Jones
“Could it have been mistaken identity? Could they have been intending to get Tyrone?”
Ruby Perriott
“All of that is in my mind right now. I have all that in my mind, either revenge come for Russell, taking him for Tyrone, or I am thinking that the girl’s last boyfriend… I don’t know.”
Police say they have not found any expended shell at the crime scene, leading them to believe that a revolver was used in the killing. And in a bizarre twist, Tillett’s pants, believe to contain his wallet is missing. According to sources, one of the group of killers was observed putting on Tillett’s pants before leaving. When police searched the car, they found Tillett’s cell phone, a twenty-dollar bill and a shilling along with his footwear and the girl’s clothing. It is believed that he couple were engaged in sex in the car when confronted by their assailants. Patrick Jones, for News 5.
News 5 visited the Orange Walk home of Tillett’s seventeen-year-old girlfriend, but her mother declined to comment on the case. The autopsy on the body of Russel Tillett has not yet been conducted. The deceased leaves behind his parents and a three year old daughter.
