City Resident Jose Zelaya Jr. Murdered in Corozal – But Who Did It?
Jose Zelaya Jr.
Missing Belize City resident, Jose Zelaya Junior, was found dead on Wednesday afternoon in a cane field north of Calcutta Village. He had been missing for three days and his father believed that his son, who carried his namesake, had been kidnapped and killed as he traveled to Corozal to visit him. A postmortem conducted today has since confirmed that the twenty-two-year-old was shot and killed before he was dumped in the cane field. Around midday today, Zelaya Junior’s body was laid to rest in the nearby village of San Joaquin. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.
Duane Moody, Reporting
Around midday today, the body of twenty-two-year-old Jose Zelaya Junior was laid to rest at the cemetery in San Joaquin Village, Corozal District. Relatives and close friends gathered to witness his burial after a postmortem exam this morning certified that the Belize City resident, who was reported missing on Tuesday, was murdered – shot multiple times to the head and chest.
ACP Joseph Myvett, Head, National Crimes Investigation Branch
“A postmortem is currently ongoing at this time to determine the time of death.”
Reporter
“Could you also speak on the type of injuries sustained by Mister Zelaya?”
ACP Joseph Myvett
“There were no visible injuries aside from some injuries to his feet. However, as I mention, the postmortem is currently ongoing at this time.”
On Wednesday evening, the decomposing body of Zelaya Junior was discovered in a cane field north of Calcutta Village, where his father lived. His father feared the worst when his son did not arrive to the village on Sunday and alleged that he had been kidnapped and killed.
ACP Joseph Myvett
“On Tuesday, the twenty-second May, Corozal Police received a report of a missing person in relation to Jose Antonio Zelaya. As a result, searches conducted in the Corozal Town area and yesterday acting upon information shortly after three p.m., police were called in an off road north of Calcutta Village where they observed the body of Jose Antonio Zelaya in an advance state of decomposition.”
Joseph Myvett
Two persons are currently in detention pending further investigation into this homicide. While Zelaya Senior believes that his son was killed because of an incident involving a younger brother, a motive has not been fully established by the police department.
ACP Joseph Myvett
“Police have two persons who they are questioning in regards to his disappearance at this time. “
Reporter
“In an interview yesterday, his father said that he knows that, he believes his son may have been targeted for an incident involving his younger brother. Is the younger brother someone that has been questioned or is this a lead that you’re looking at?”
ACP Joseph Myvett
“Yes the police are looking at several leads in relation to this matter. And I believe the father will be spoken to as well later today, but several persons who the police believe are of interest to this investigation are being questioned.”
Reporter
“In this particular crime is it indicative of some grudge or some retaliation for activities in Corozal District or is it that something from Belize City followed him all the way up there? His father said that he was always on the run in Belize City from bad man, gunman and from the police.”
ACP Joseph Myvett
“[Umm] no. At this point in time, as I mentioned, the investigation is still ongoing and we were not able to determine a motive as yet, but we are continuing.”
Reporter
“Yeah, but I am just trying to understand—local actors or Belize City actors?”
ACP Joseph Myvett
“We do not know at this point in time.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
