William Godoy’s Family Protest Murder Charge
The first murder victim on the island is Alfredo Cowo and tonight, a San Pedro mechanic is spending his first night behind bars at the Central Prison for that murder. But the family of William Godoy isn’t convinced that he is the killer and believes Godoy was charged to cool down tensions simmering on the island. Prior to his murder, Cowo was threatened and publicly spoke about the danger to his life. This is after he was shot along with four others on the island and took two cops to court. The charges against the cops were dismissed for want of prosecution and Cowo ended up dead. Today, News Five’s Duane Moody spoke to the Godoy family.
Duane Moody, Reporting
Today, thirty-three-year-old San Pedrano, William Godoy was escorted by police to the Central Prison and was remanded until April thirteenth for the murder of Alfredo Cowo, one week ago. There has been a flurry of concerns from residents, including Godoy’s relatives, who say that it is impossible that he carried out the crime against Cowo. Today, the family planned a protest outside of the police station on the island in anticipation of his transfer to the central prison. But it didn’t occur and was postponed to this coming weekend because the family did not secure a permit for the peaceful demonstration. Ruth Pernillo says they were out since six this morning because they wanted to guarantee that their brother gets to the prison safely.
Ruth Pernillo, Sister of William Godoy
“We had organized a protest, but due to the letter wasn’t signed by the police in charge so we couldn’t advance with that protest. So we gonna organize it for another day.”
Duane Moody
“The concern from what I understand is that the family does not believe that William did this.”
Ruth Pernillo
“It’s impossible. He’s innocent and we all know it. The whole San Pedro knows that he is innocent because my brother is not that type of person. He’s a guy that just works and just takes care of his family; that all he does.”
Alfredo Godoy, Brother of William Godoy
“I don’t think it is fair to take him but we all understand that this is a procedure that we have to get into, but we have to wait until his next trial or before so our attorney works on it.”
Godoy is well-known on the island as a mechanic; he attended the wake and funeral of Cowo before his detention for the murder. According to the family, the father of three daughters and a son was at his house in the DFC area when the murder occurred on Barrier Reef Drive.
Ruth Pernillo
“They didn’t have no arguments, no fights or nothing between them, but they were friends—as far as I know—they were friends. My brother was at home at the moment; I guess they’re just trying to frame him or something like that.”
Alfredo Godoy
“His ex-wife, I would say separated and I think she has some text messages that she was texting with some other girl and that is a way of proving that he was at home.”
The family also disputes statements made by the police, who have gone on record to say that that there is substantive evidence to tag Godoy for the crime.
Duane Moody
“They are saying that they have an alibi for his whereabouts but yet he was charged for the murder of this man. What kind of evidence, of course without trying the case, what kind of evidence does the police have to secure that charge against Mister Godoy? …because I understand that a murder weapon was not recovered.”
ASP Alejandro Cowo, O.C., C.I.B., Belize City [File: January 22nd, 2018]
“I know that yes Mister William Godoy was charged. However we have to go on the evidence that we have on hand and whatever the different witnesses are saying. Based on that we do arrest and charge.”
Duane Moody
“Sir was a murder weapon recovered?”
ASP Alejandro Cowo
“No, no murder weapon was recovered.”
Duane Moody
“Since that man has been charged, has a motive been ascertained for that murder?”
ASP Alejandro Cowo
“There is no motive, as I mentioned in the last press brief, at the time of his detention, he was being interviewed by police but he did not say anything much in regards to that shooting there.”
Ruth Pernillo
“That same eyewitness is the girlfriend of Cowo and according to her; she stated that she didn’t see the gunman and the gunman was masked. So I don’t know how she can put a face to that mask, so it doesn’t add up. It doesn’t add up at all for my brother to be the gunman.”
The murder occurred on January sixteenth in front of Jaguars Nightclub on Barrier Reef Drive. A masked gunman reportedly came up to Cowo and his girlfriend who were sitting in a golf cart and opened fire. After carrying out the brazen act, the gunman would escape on Buccaneer Street. Today, the family was about to obtain a copy of surveillance video that captured the killer fleeing the scene. They believe that that video will exonerate their brother.
Alfredo Godoy
“There is nothing important right now till I record a video that I am going to get so I’m heading to the office of the camera so I can get the video.”
Duane Moody
“What is on that video?”
Alfredo Godoy
“According to what I understand there is the person who made the shooting. So that’s what we are trying to get to prove that my brother is innocent in this.”
Duane Moody
“So when you retrieve this, you are going to take it over to the police so that they can see that William was not involved in this shooting at all?”
Alfredo Godoy
“Actually I don’t want to hand it to the police because who is asking for it is our attorney.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
