Is Jane Doe Leanne Gagliardi?
On Monday, we reported that one of our viewers from Hopkins in southern Belize reached out to our newsroom saying that she recognized Jane Doe, a Caucasian woman, whose body washed up on shore in the coastal village. She sent pictures of the person, who has since been identified as Leanne Gagliardi. According to police, she was not staying at any resort or hotel in the village and it is believed that she had a mental disorder. There are also reports that she had misplaced her traveling documents and was last seen alive on June twentieth heading towards the beach. Her body was discovered two days later on Friday morning just after six o’clock. The photographs of Gagliardi, we are told, are what police have used to identify the body, which has since been laid to rest in Hopkins. Here’s what police had to say at their press briefing:
Joseph Myvett
ACP Joseph Myvett, Head, National Crime Investigation Branch [File: June 25th, 2018]
“Police responded to an information of a body on the beach shortly after 6:30 a.m., where a female was found dressed in a khaki blouse and green short pants who up to this point remains unidentified. A post mortem was conducted on the said date which revealed that the results are consistent with drowning. Our investigation have also revealed that a resident of Hopkins was visited on June twentieth by the deceased, who requested assistance and was given clothing and food and thereafter left, and that was the last time she was seen alive.”
Reporter
“Is she Belizean?”
ACP Joseph Myvett
“No, not that we are aware of. According to the witness who was spoken to, she is a foreigner.”
Reporter
“So have police been able to establish with immigration when she arrived, since she’s a foreigner?”
ACP Joseph Myvett
“We are looking into that, but the time there was absolutely no form of identification on the body.”
Reporter
“And the area where she was found, was it a residential area?”
ACP Joseph Myvett
“No, this was in the southern part of Hopkins on the beach.
Reporter
“Are you able to say how long she had been dead for?”
ACP Joseph Myvett
“No, I will have to check that and get back with you, but I know that the last time she was seen alive was on June twentieth.”
Sorry to hear her tragic death. She lived in San Ignacio, she rented 2weeks in one of my apartments, then rented with a neighbor. She was always with a dog. After that she was seen wondering up and down San Ignacio/Santa Elena. Yes she did have a mental disorder. She so needed help. RIP Leanne.
This is untrue. Police still have not identified the body. It’s pure speculation based on civilian input and it’s very unprofessional and unethical to try to out-report other news agencies by reporting the (possible) name of a deceased person before the family is notified. Shame.