Murder victim tortured, shot, burned
No one is sure exactly why a resident of the St. Martin de Porres area of Belize City was murdered over the weekend, but there is no doubt that the final moments before his death were filled with terror. News 5’s Jacqueline Woods has the grim story.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
Authorities say evidence they found at the crime scene tell them that thirty year old Winston Flowers, also known as Wade, was tortured before he was murdered and his small house set on fire. Shortly after two on Sunday morning, fire-fighters responded to a call, but there was nothing they could do to save the one room wooden building. According to Operations Manager, Michael Middleton, they made the gruesome discovery after they entered the structure to investigate the blaze.
Michael Middleton, Operations Manager, Natl. Fire Service
“The body was partially…the upper part of the body was under the bed and the two feet were out. The fire was wilfully set by some unknown person or persons.”
Jacqueline Woods
“How was it set?”
Michael Middleton
“It started actually on the floor of the building. So somebody maybe poured some kind of solution there and lit the place on fire.”
Neighbours say just before the fire, they heard screams coming from inside the building and heard several gunshots. At the scene, police recovered five expended shells, but say because the body was badly decomposed they only observed one single gunshot wound to its left upper chest. Also at the scene, authorities came upon the victim’s left foot lying under the house. Authorities say they do not know if it was chopped off or somehow dismembered as a result of the fire.
According to James Flowers, his brother did not keep in touch with the family and he does not know what he could have done to make anyone kill him.
James Flowers, Brother of the Deceased
“I noh really know because I noh really see him everyday and thing so I can’t confirm…The body burn up and the gunshot wound is there, so I can’t seh what happen to him first, if he burn first, but mostly I figure he get the gunshot first.”
Reports reaching News 5 say around the time of the incident two men on bicycles were seen in the area. Today, the authorities are asking anyone who can help solve this latest killing to please contact the nearest police station. Jacqueline Woods for News 5.
Following the incident police detained four persons, but they have since been released.
