Escalante’s Pickup Ditched in Mahogany Heights; But Why Was He Killed?

Michael Escalante

Last week, we reported on the murder of Orange Walk resident Michael Escalante. Escalante’s body was discovered in the grass on the side of the road around mile thirty-three on the George Price Highway; his 2017 Wingle pickup was missing. But as we found out from ACP Joseph Myvett today, investigators do not believe that robbery was the motive behind the crime. Escalante was shot once to the head and his body discarded on the roadside.  Then his killer or killers took off with his vehicle, Escalante was not robbed of his money. Two days after his murder and with assistance from air surveillance, police discovered the wingle on Friday morning in a wooded area of the Mahogany Heights community. ACP Myvett says that they are looking for four persons.

ACP Joseph Myvett, Head, National Crimes Investigation Branch

“We continued to follow several leads and on Friday last, sometime shortly before midday; his vehicle, which is a red wingle was located about five to ten minute walk south west of Mahogany Heights within a wooded area. The two front windows were apparently shattered by bullet holes; however, the vehicle itself remained intact in terms of its components, meaning the machine, the wheels and so forth. The vehicle was intact aside from the windows being shattered. We are still trying to determine a motive because we knew for a fact that monies were found on him by the police. And we have no information to suggest that he was carrying any large quantities of monies at the time of the incident.”

Joseph Myvett

Reporter

“Sir how does this investigation proceed, because the robbers/murderers abandoned this vehicle? How is it that the police would go about linking them to the vehicle?”

ACP Joseph Myvett

“Several prints were recovered from inside the vehicle and we are following other leads which had indicated to us that the vehicle along with a grey in color Ford Escape was seen on the George Price Highway within close vicinity of each other sometime shortly before the incident so we are also following on that lead. And at this point in time, we are looking for four persons for questioning who we believe can assist in this investigation.”