British Filmmaker, Richard Foster, Missing; His Home Was Ransacked and Guns Stolen

Richard Foster

There is growing concern tonight for the safety of Richard Foster, the famed film maker who has made Belize his home for decades. When he did not answer calls from his wife Carol, who is in the United States, a check of the property revealed that something was awfully wrong.  His house was found open, it had been burglarized and Foster was nowhere to be found. News Five’s Hipolito Novelo was at the scene as police combed through the house looking for clues. Foster worked closely with the Belize Zoo and has filmed a number of documentaries for the Natural Geographic TV and BBC. At news time, Foster’s vehicle has been located, but he remains missing.

Hipolito Novelo, Reporting

It is believed that sixty-three year old Richard Foster, a renowned British filmmaker, was abducted from here: Savanna Guest House on mile twenty eight and a half of the George Price Highway. His business doubled as his home and scenes of crime technicians along with ACP Chester Williams were at the scene this morning gathering information and looking for clues to Foster’s whereabouts.

Foster lived alone for the time being. His wife, Carol is in the United States. At around seven o’clock this morning, Carol called Glen McFadzean- a sixty one year old Belizean retiree of La Democracia village, to stop by Savanna Guest House and check on her husband because her calls had gone unanswered. McFadzean did but when he arrived at the house, he realized that something terrible had happened. He found the house opened and ransacked. Foster was nowhere to be found. His Toyota Hilux and two firearms, a nine millimeter Smith and Wesson and a twelve gauge all purpose pump action shot gun were missing. According to sources, cash was also missing.

News Five has learnt that Foster’s vehicle, a Toyota pick-up, was found in a bushy area near a water reservoir in the Mahogany Heights community. Blood was seen inside the vehicle. Foster, however, remains missing. So this missing person report has evolved in what may be kidnapping. Tonight there are more questions than answers as to the whereabouts of Foster.

Foster lived in Belize for many years. He is an animal lover and Natural History Filmmaker. He worked closely with the Belize Zoo and on December first 2010, he gave News Five an interview after the zoo suffered major damages after Hurricane Richard in October of that year.

Richard Foster, Zoo Contributor [File: December 1st, 2010]

“When that hurricane came, Hurricane Richard, it was heart breaking, really heartbreaking to see what it did. All the big trees that had grown up and the beauty of the zoo was just destroyed but I tell you it didn’t put Sharon off and those guys worked like crazy over the last month. The catastrophe has attracted some funds so some things will be done better than they were before. I believe everybody has had some kind of shakeup and the zoo is gonna become more vital. It is amazing what can come out of disaster if you really will it and I think that is what is what’s happening there at the zoo.”

If you have any information that can lead investigators to Foster you are asked to call 9-1-1. Reporting for News Five, I am Hipolito Novelo.