Two Men Charged, Remanded for Murder of David “Goofy” Phillips
Jerdene Eton Jorgenson & Lloyd Anthony Burgess
We begin tonight’s newscast with the arrest of two men for probably the most callous murder for 2023. Last Thursday, we brought you the gripping images of the murder of forty-three-year-old David “Goofy” Phillips, whose body was discovered in the Western Pines residential area at Mile eight on the George Price Highway. Phillips’s head was bashed in with a cement block taken from the scene, where a concrete house was under construction. And today, two men were marched before the Magistrate’s Court to jointly face the charge of murder in connection with the incident. This was after police charged thirty-seven-year-old Jerdene Eton Jorgenson of Guerrero Street, and a stevedore, forty-five-year-old Lloyd Anthony Burgess of Caesar Ridge Road, with the crime over the weekend.
David “Goofy” Phillips
The police believe they have a case against the two men, after a mason stumbled upon Phillips’s body behind a concrete house that was under construction. He was found lying face down and dressed in a blue Polo shirt and a pair of Jeans pants. The discovery was made just a few hours after Phillips had left his family’s residence on Central American Boulevard at around three-thirty that morning. Police were able to crack the case after reviewing a video recording from a surveillance camera. And when reporters arrived at the scene later that morning, the grim images painted a picture of the horrific death that Phillips met. Today, Assistant Commissioner Hilberto Romero explained that so far, police have not established a motive for the murder, but they have strong evidence against the two accused.
Hilberto Romero
A.C.P Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division
“An investigation was carried out, a vehicle was confiscated and two persons have been jointly charged with the crime of murder. They are Jordan Jorgensen and Lloyd Burgess.”
Duane Moody
“What is the investigation showing us to a motive behind this?”
A.C.P Hilberto Romero
“We did not establish a clear motive. All we got is that he was taken from somewhere in Belize City and taken to that area on John Smith Road.”
Duane Moody
“Sir, has any information come to you guys to suggest that Mr. Phillips was killed because he had stolen a bicycle from a person?”
A.C.P Hilberto Romero
“No, no, we did not establish that, no.”
Duane Moody
“That is what his brother said he had.”
A.C.P Hilberto Romero
“Yes, but the investigation, we did not come across anything like that.”
Duane Moody
“Is Mr. Phillips known to the police to be involved in any criminal activities?”
A.C.P Hilberto Romero
“We only know that he had committed some petty theft. That is all we have on him.”
Duane Moody
“The two accused, they’re known to police?”
A.C.P Hilberto Romero
“Yes, they are known to police.”
Duane Moody
“For petty crimes as well?”
A.C.P Hilberto Romero
“No, other crimes.”
Jorgenson and Burgess were denied bail because of the nature of the crime and were remanded to the Belize Central Prison until December fourth.
