Remains Found of Missing David Castillo

David Castillo

It’s a mother’s worst nightmare, but one that Joan Ramsey and her family woke up to Sunday morning when her son David Castillo, who went missing two weeks ago, was found murdered. News Five’s Marion Ali has the story in this report.

Marion Ali, Reporting

Sometime around eight on the night of Thursday, August twelfth, David Castillo walked from his house at #19 Faber’s Road to M&J’s Fastfood, about one hundred yards up the street to order his supper. But it was a meal he never lived to enjoy. It would also be the last time he was seen alive.

Julia Robinson, Proprietor, M&J’s Fastfood

“He got a call and he told me he was coming back right now and he left. I didn’t see anything that happened, I don’t know anything else cause he didn’t say anything.”

Then, ten days later, a citizen alerted Police that they had stumbled upon an already decomposing body sometime on Sunday morning, callously discarded off the side of the George Price Highway, near mile four. The remains were identified as David Castillo, and he had been shot. The Police Department’s Director of Communications, Assistant Superintendent Fitzroy Yearwood says police are now trying to retrace Castillo’s steps. All they have so far are leads.

Fitzroy Yearwood

ASP Fitzroy Yearwood, Communications Director, Belize Police Department

“Mr. Castillo’s family had been looking for him for the past two weeks tirelessly. So, one, finding the body brings part closure to them. Now to determine what happened to him is where our investigators will come in. We were initially informed by the family that he received a phone call on the night that he disappeared and since then they hadn’t heard from him.”

Julia Robinson who operates M&J’s Fastfood where Castillo went to order his food told News Five today that he usually would go to help her lock up. But that night, incidentally, the shop was already closed, so she could not see who he left with.

Julia Robinson

Julia Robinson

“There are quite a few windows that need man’s strength to close and he’s the one who usually come and help me. But that specific night all the windows were already closed for the shop; the doors were closed. I was getting ready to leave. And his order was the last thing that came in, so I was preparing that.”

Robinson says that Castillo, a fisherman by trade, was always courteous, willing to help in whatever way he could.

Julia Robinson

“He was a very jovial person, very helpful, always – a people pleaser – always wants to make you smile, if you were not smiling, he wanted to put a smile on your face. And I appreciated that because many days I was stressed in my business and he would come and, you know, “What up, Jules? Yeah, What wi wa do fi today?” Things like that.”

Robinson said Castillo was also making plans.

Julia Robinson

“Ih seh ih daughter birthday mi di come up and yoh know things kinda hard right now and we di tell ah mek ih just tell we weh ih want like how we own a business shop. And my sister birthday da mi the same Sunday when da mi his daughter birthday sogh we mi decide fi mek some ah the things dehn weh we di mek and give it to he fi his daughter, but ih never end up show up.”

Castillo’s family will lay his remains to rest on Wednesday. Marion Ali for News Five.