1 Man Detained for Murder of Richard Foster

Richard Foster

One man has been detained for the fatal stabbing of seventy-four-year-old British filmmaker Richard Foster. Foster’s body was found a day after he was kidnapped from his home at Savanna Guest House on the George Price Highway. His body was found by a resident of the Rivera area of Belmopan on Tuesday night.  Today, police revealed that Foster had been stabbed as many as ten times and the motive is believed to be robbery.  His nine-millimetre Smith and Wesson and a twelve-gauge shotgun were stolen. His vehicle was found abandoned in some bushes in the Mahogany Heights community, where it is suspected that his killers are from. Though one person was detained this morning and is being held at the Belmopan Police Station, investigators know that he did not act alone.  News Five’s Hipolito Novelo reports.

Hipolito Novelo, Reporting

Investigators have one man detained for the brutal murder of Richard Foster. The seventy-four-year-old British Filmmaker who lived in Belize with his wife for decades was kidnapped from his home at Savanna Guest House sometime between Monday night and Tuesday morning. His body was found dumped near a creek in the Rivera Area of Belmopan on Tuesday night. He had been stabbed as many as ten times.

Joseph Myvett

ACP Joseph Myvett, Head, National Crimes Investigation Branch

“The post-mortem was conducted yesterday on the body of Richard Foster which revealed that he died from traumatic asphyxiation as a consequence of multiple stab wounds. He received a total of ten stab wounds. The police have since put together an investigative team and we are following on several leads. A number of statements have been recorded.”

Police are putting those statements and leads together with the hopes of determining a clear timeline of the sequence of events leading to Foster’s demise.  They know so far that Foster was not killed where his body was found.

ACP Joseph Myvett

“The investigation has shown that there were some injuries within the house but even on the scene where the body was found there was no substantial amount of blood which seems to indicate that the deceased was not exactly killed there where he was found.”

Foster was not killed at his ransacked home either. His Toyota pickup was found abandoned in some bushes in the Mahogany Heights Community. While blood was found inside the car, there wasn’t a substantial amount to suggest that he was killed there.

ACP Joseph Myvett

“We are not certain at this time based on the investigation where is it that he was killed however we are looking at several suspects in that area. At his point in time, there is one person in custody who is being interviewed in respect to this investigation.”

A description of one of the suspects led police to the man who is currently in custody. That person is known to police but police do not believe he acted alone.  Crime Stoppers Belize is offering a reward of one thousand dollars leading to the arrest and charge of persons responsible for Foster’s murder.

Elodio Aragon Jr.

Elodio Aragon Jr., Minister of State for National Security

“I’ve always said it, one murder is one murder too many. We have our Belizeans who are shot and killed. We have incidents like this and it is sad. All I can tell you at this time is that the investigation is ongoing. I hope we can really find these people. I am asking the community out there because definitely the community out there, there is somebody out there that knows something and we will be grateful if they can bring the information to the Police Department so we can act upon it.”

Investigators believe the motive was robbery. While the vehicle was found, Foster’s nine-millimetre firearm and twelve gauge shotgun have yet to be recovered. Reporting for News Five, I am Hipolito Novelo.