Double Murder in Hattieville; Farmer & Workman are Killed

Five persons have been murdered in two days. We begin tonight’s newscast with yet another incident during which multiple persons were killed, this time in the Belize District. In a chilling discovery, a double murder has shaken the Hattieville community. Farmer Joel Andrews and his workman were found murdered in a remote area on Andrews’ farm. Investigations are ongoing, with early reports hinting at robbery as a possible motive. News Five’s Duane Moody has more.

Duane Moody, Reporting

From as early as eight a.m. today, police and scenes of crime personnel were at the location of a double murder in Hattieville. The bodies of two men were discovered in a pond on a farm in a remote area of the village, known as Farmer’s Area. It’s the property of Joel Andrews, better known as New York, who had been residing at the farm for fifteen years. It is believed that Andrews and his workman were killed overnight; the workman was reportedly chopped multiple times, while Andrews was shot. Their bodies were reportedly placed in a wheelbarrow and dumped in a pond to the far end of the farm.

Sr. Supt. Reymundo Reyes, Deputy Commander, Eastern Division

Sr. Supt. Reymundo Reyes,

“Presently police are in the process of processing a scene where the body of two male persons have been found. At this moment, the investigation is pretty young, so after the scene is process, then we might determine as to what actually happened.”

Duane Moody

“Are you able to determine how they died?”

Sr. Supt. Reymundo Reyes

“Not at this moment. All I could say is that yes we have the bodies of two male persons which will be processed in a few by the scenes of crime personnel.”

Duane Moody

“Has their identity been determined?”

Sr. Supt. Reymundo Reyes

“No sir.”

There are reports that screams for help were heard overnight.  Andrews parked his Range Rover SUV at his neighbour’s yard. This morning, he didn’t come for his vehicle, which was unusual. Tisha Moore says she last spoke with him by telephone around nine o’clock on Monday night when he was inquiring on the whereabouts of his workman.

Tisha Moore, Neighbour of Deceased

Tisha Moore

“Normally he, like Monday or so, he woulda come out or Tuesday – everyday yo coulda say, but weekends he ah deh back dehn. And every morning he come, he woulda halla fi me, Tisha I come fi mi vehicle and then ih say I gwen. But I neva see ih come today. But the last time I hear ih talk to me dah mi yesterday; ih call me after nine and ask bout ih workman. I tell ahn ih workman noh deh yah. When we walk gone back deh so, the neighbours they tell we how they hear somebody mi di say, “Help me, help me cross some creek.” I noh really know, but that dah weh dehn mi di tell we walk gone back there this morning.”

“New York” was well-known by those who would visit the Michael Finnegan Market in Belize City. His meat and vegetable shop was right at the corner. He and his brother, Dennis, were the two remaining siblings. Who would want him dead and why is uncertain at this time. Dennis says that his brother did not deserve to be killed this way.

Dennis Andrews

Dennis Andrews, Brother of Deceased

“Joel Andrews dah wah businessman for years. He stand like me; we sell fruits and vegetables and we dah businessman. He work hard for what he got and this weh he got here is what he liked. From ever since, he loved farmer. So whosoever took my brother’s life, they took someone – I noh want say the word – kind-hearted and if he could help you, he will help you.”

Reporter

“How did you find out?”

Dennis Andrews

“Well I find out actually some of my friends called from the states and they asked me; they said they see it on the Facebook and that’s when I found out that my brother got killed.”

Is it a case of a robbery turned double murder? The area is remote and isolated. Resident Clifton Lahoodie says that it’s some times unsafe.

Clifton Lahoodie, Neighbour of Deceased

Clifton Lahoodie

“You can’t got animal around wah village and noh expect the foreigners di come come deal with yo cause I got people weh come deal with me too. This family life dah Belize, everybody deh out deh; they want live wah city life – they noh want this farming life but when dehn see how wah farm look, dehn wah come come reap. Ih mi got wah incident one time weh dehn mi di try take away ih gun dah back deh. And ih neva did, which in the police man say he noh come and report none ah dehn thing. He hear dehn thing so he di ask me. He tell me about some incident weh gone on dah back dehn, but dah dehn ih shoulda mi deal with. But this dah di thing, yo noh want run go dah the police and noh get that lee help weh yo need.”

It’s a double murder that occurred within less than two days of a triple murder on Ambergris Caye.  Minister of Home Affairs Kareem Musa says that two persons are being sought for these latest homicides.

Kareem Musa

Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs

“Another tragic loss of life in Hattieville. From the information that the police have so far, they are looking for two suspects in particular. They have the names; I don’t want to disclose the names at this time, of course, until the police are able to garner statements so that they can make arrests. But they are right now looking for those two individuals.”

Andrews was a sixty-six-year-old father of two children. Duane Moody for News Five.