Maypen woman detained in death of common law husband
There are many of us in Belize who cling to the notion that once outside the violent world of the city, life in rural Belize is as peaceful and idyllic as a nineteenth century postcard. Today there are fewer believers in that mirage as the prototypically bucolic village of Maypen on Monday became the scene of a bloody crime, which police say was the result, not of drugs, kidnapping or robbery but the age old emotions of love, lust and jealousy. This afternoon I traveled to the scene.
In 1994, twenty three year old Sarita Estrada and twenty seven year old Stanley Gillette both of Maypen Village, fell in love and decided to build a life together. Four years later, Gillette has been found dead with a gunshot blast to his face and his common law wife has been taken into custody. The question is: “Did Estrada intentionally shoot Gillette or was it an accident?” Two days after the shooting incident, the police are still trying to find an answer.
A.I.P Simeon Alvarez, Head of CIB
“Well, it is very hard to believe whether the gun went off accidentally or it was shoot off intentionally. It is very hard to say it went off accidentally.”
But as the police try to solve the murder, residents of Maypen Village believe the tragedy was the result of an affair Estrada was having with a young man of the village. According to C.I.B. Head Simeon Alvarez, Estrada confessed to police about the romance.
A.I.P Simeon Alvarez
“According to Sarita Estrada, Darrel Ferguson is an intimate friend of hers with whom she is having an affair with, other than Mr. Gillette.”
According to Lucinda Gillette, she is still struggling over the death of her grandson.
Lucinda Gillette, Grandmother, Deceased
“My grandson was a easy person. He always visit me and like that, you know. He always come and ih visit me. Bring somethings sometime for me and like that. And he da neva wah rude bwai. No because I bawn ah right, but he was a nice child. You know how da thing gawn through me? Huh… I don’t know if I can survive it because fah mawnin, I study di cry.”
Although it is still not clear exactly what took place inside the couple’s home on the afternoon of Monday, April sixth, Police say there is sufficient amount of evidence to bring charges against Estrada. According to police when they visited Gillette’s home shortly after eight that Monday night, they came upon his lifeless body lying across the couple’s bed, with a shot gun blast to the right eye. Initially Estrada claimed the incident was a suicide, but after she was taken in for questioning, the common law wife broke down and began telling the cops a different story.
A.I.P Simeon Alvarez
“At the time of the incident, it was only two of them in the house, the deceased and the common law wife, Sarita Estrada. She was brought in that same night for questioning and with an interview – having an interveiw with her – yesterday, she stated that around that same time, four thirty, Stanley was at home when he saw one Darrel Ferguson of the same village passing by. He went for the shotgun saying that that was the end of it. She then approached him and a struggle went off between herself and the deceased for the gun. She told him not to do that, not to kill him. So she further stated that during that struggle, the gun went off, hitting Stanley in the face.”
According to Alvarez sometime after the shooting, Estrada for some unknown reason picked up the shotgun and then placed it against the wall in the corner of the bedroom…and that’s where the police found the weapon when they arrived on the scene.
It is expected that on Thursday Estrada will be charged.
