Body of murdered taxi driver fond on Western Highway

It has been a week of violence, including three murders in San Pedro alone. And tonight we report on another victim, a Belize City taxi driver. The Honduran national was missing for a week and when he was found this morning, it was not a pretty sight. The forty-one year old man was murdered execution style. Duane Moody reports from the Western Highway.

Duane Moody
“At around seven-thirty this morning, police discovered the body of a man some thirty to forty feet off the western highway between miles three and four.”

Duane Moody, Reporting
The decomposed body of Antonio Orellana was identified by his wife, twenty-three year old Rose Marie Godoy and the cause of death is still unconfirmed. The Honduran national was a driver of one of the dollar taxis operating in Lake I. It is known he rented vehicles from businessman Godwin Panting.”

Godwin Panting
“Orellana use to drive one of my vans as a dollar taxi operator.”

Duane Moody
“When was the last time you saw Orellana?”

Godwin Panting
“I think it was Tuesday night eating a fry chicken at the Ah Wing Chiny.”

Duane Moody
“Okay, which van was he in the last time you saw him?”

Godwin Panting
“He was in a blue van.”

Norman Lainfiesta, Friend of Deceased
“On Thursday he was first reported missing.”

Jacqueline Godwin, Channel Seven
“So this is something you least expected?”

Norman Lainfiesta
“It is least expected because we know he run the Lake I van early in the morning. So when he left the Wednesday morning and didn’t come home the night, I tell my girlfriend—because three of us live in a house—that maybe he must meet a girl and gone somewhere.”

On Thursday night however, the blue van in which Orellano was last seen was found on Central American Boulevard, in it was his tennis shoes. It was until today, seven days after his disappearance, that Orellana’s body was found execution style: his feet and hands were bound, his mouth taped and a single gunshot wound to his head. Family and friends are in shock and saddened and say Orellana had no enemies.

Duane Moody
“Why do you feel that someone would want to kill Orellana”

Godwin Panting
“I don’t know because Mr. Antonio was a very nice guy to everybody, very nice guy”

Duane Moody
“Do you know of any problems that he had or anything of that sort?”

Godwin Panting
“No, not that I know of.”

Norman Lainfiesta
“He was a cool quite person easy going that’s all I know about him.

Duane Moody
“Di dollar taxi weh ih mi run dah mi fi which area?”

Norman Lainfiesta
“Lake I.”

Jacqueline Godwin
“And as far as you know, nothing was troubling him, no one was threatening him?”

Norman Lainfiesta
“He dah somebody we usually keep to himself. He would come, take a shower, go early in the morning, come back at ten in the night, sleep. He was a cool guy you know. May he rest in piece.”

Duane Moody reporting for News Five.