Christmas Eve murder inside prison

It has been a violent week of shootings and homicides in the old capital; not the type of news we would have wanted to report on Christmas week. But the third murder was reported this morning when an inmate was fatally stabbed within the walls of the Hattieville Prison. Keon Swasey, who was on remand for a number of indictable offences and awaiting trial, was stabbed to death in his cell shortly before ten this morning. He was stabbed twice; on the abdomen and on the chest as he was receiving a telephone call in the Tango Eight area of the prison. The suspect identified as Krismar Espinosa, was receiving a telephone call in the same area when the fatal stabbing took place. Earlier this week Swasey was on trial along with a minor at the Belize City Magistrates’ Court for three counts of Aggravated Assault, Firearm and Ammunition. Swasey was also behind bars for the 2008 Attempted Murder of Roy Bennett. Espinosa, who is now nineteen years old, is behind bars awaiting trial for the 2007 murder of Rachel Chun. The weapon used in the homicide has not been located, but it is believed that the murder was triggered by an old beef between the two. A post-mortem is expected to be Swasey’s body is pending. Interestingly, though maybe not connected, Swasey’s home address is on Kraal Road, where a string of shootings took place in the last twenty-four hours.