Kashif Jeffries murdered by masked men
Kashif Jeffries
The cycle of unbridled violence spilled across the country over the weekend. In tonight’s newscast we report on two murders, two daring robbery attempts which ended fatally for the perpetrators, a body found at Turneffe, parcels of suspected cocaine found in Caye Caulker and other violent acts that plunged the nation deeper into fear. It was a bloodbath all around and we start with the story of a young car dealer whose life was cut short on Sunday afternoon. He is son of media personalities, Esme Anderson and Trevor Jefferies. Kashif Jefferies would have celebrated this twenty fifth-birthday in the next few days, instead a mass of thanksgiving will be held for his life. Two armed and masked men unleashed a volley of bullets on Kashif as he sat in his vehicle in the Port Loyola area. It was a shocking murder that has stunned his family and friends. News Five’s Isani Cayetano has a report.
Esme Anderson, Mother of Deceased
“Isani, when I was going to the hospital I prayed, I said Dear Lord my mind was ticking and I said no please don’t let my son die, don’t; not my son. And then when I get dah di hospital di doctor said that there was nothing they can do for him. They said he died on the way.”
Isani Cayetano
“Popular Belcan car dealer Kashif Jeffries was less than three hours away from boarding a Continental flight to Houston, Texas when he was ruthlessly gunned down in his vehicle in the streets of Belize City.”
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
According to his mother and well known media personality Esme Anderson, twenty-four year old Kashif had already purchased his airplane ticket for the routine trip to Houston where he was going to buy a vehicle he would have driven down to Belize for sale on the used car market.
Esme Anderson
Esme Anderson
“He was supposed to go last week Wednesday and then he set off the trip because he was trying to find a cheap ticket on the internet. But anyway Saturday night he mentioned he said mommy I found a ticket for seven hundred dollars through Continental and so Sunday morning now we mi di text back and forth and I seh Kashif weh time yo leaving ih say for thirty mom and I tell ah some stuff weh ah want ih bring back from di States fih mih ah ih say ok and di last I text him and I said Kash take care ih say ah wah sih you when ih get back.”
Little did Esme know that the text message she sent would have been the last communication she would have with her son. Kashif was inside his vehicle on Levi Usher Street in the Port Loyola area conversing with two female cousins who were standing outside this residence when he was approached by his assailants.
Esme Anderson
“They started to talk and the cousin dehn seh—Kashif usually chat with dehn and stop anytime ih pass that area and they spoke for a brief moment and they said when dehn look wah green Explorer pull up and dehn park like in front ah Kashif vehicle and dehn seh Kashif looked at di vehicle, turn ih head back and started to talk with them again and dehn say da when dehn look back pan the vehicle dehn sih two young men came out and dehn already had, they went to kill Kashif because according to the young ladies they already had white t-shirts tied around their faces. They came out with two silver nines and they just shoot up Kashif and apparently when Kashif looked again and saw them coming out of the vehicle with the guns he tried to reverse the vehicle but he never reached far because already they were shooting him.”
Anderson says of the eleven expended shells recovered at the scene ten of the bullets found their mark on Kashif’s body. The bullet riddled sport utility vehicle is proof that his attackers wanted whomever inside dead.
Esme Anderson
“I expected probably a shot in the abdomen, maybe in the back, in the chest but Isani when I gone dah the hospital and I looked at my son Kashif never deserve to die the way he died.”
And that’s the sentiment near his old stomping grounds at the foot of the Belcan Bridge today where several of his colleagues remember him as a soft spoken person who was all about cars.
Hugh Tillett
Hugh Tillett, Car Dealer
“He’s a very business, go-getting guy as far as I know. He dah noh di type ah person fi involve himself eena problems or anything like dat as far as I know. Whenever he’s out here we deh out ya fi one thing, sell cars; try, you know, get to know a lot of people and we try to be dah way noh, stick to business.”
Esme Anderson
“Kashif was living a decent life. I just want everybody to know that they killed an innocent man. They took away my son for nothing. Kashif dah wah very nice person; loving son mein. Why? I don’t know.”
Ironically, Anderson said she now joins the long list of grieving mothers seeking justice for her son’s murder. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.
hope the police can find the killers and hopefully, hopefully charge them accordingly. that’s if they’re not involve in it also. casue now we never know if the same police arethe killers. and mom may the lord help you in your healing emotionally.
Wow. This was my classmate, he was a wonderful guy. The class clown always quick to make us laugh. This really hits close to home. I hope with all my heart that this heartless murdering stops.
I believe this guy was setup by those girls he was talking too.
These Guatemalans are watching what is happening on our size and they’ve realized that our Security system is corrupted.As a result they are taking advantage of the situation.Even the Guats knows that we are divided.
I am a Canadian citizen and just could not stand to sit by any longer with out a comment. I read the Belizean news every day on line. My wife and I have been coming to Belize for the last 15 years and havebefriended many people both on the main land as well as the keys that we now call very good friends. In the last couple of years we have been somewhat nervous with the crime rate and have therefore decided that we will not be back until the Belizean Government gets this under control. It hurts us to feel this way but once you are dead you are dead .It is not just our money that Belize is not getting because word spreads in Canada about places that are not safe to go to.I do hope that someone that reads this comment can do something to change things. Thanks.
REST IN PEACE KASHIF…. TO HIS MOM KNOW THAT GOD IS NOT SLEEPING PRAY FOR THEM WHO HAS DONE THIS TO YOUR SON DON’T HOLD ANY VENGEANCE AGAINST THEM. THE LORD SAYS VENGEANCE IS MINE.. ..ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS FORGIVE THEM AND PRAY FOR THEM CUZ GOD’S JUDGMENT WILL BE GREATER THAT THE POLICE’S OWN…
How come the girls neva got shot? this sounds a bit fishy. Maybe they set up Kashiff. There is just too many guns on the street and youths who are too cowardly to use their fists. How can you take away some one’s child over something meaningless. What goes around comes around so what these killers did wil come back to haunt them.
RIP but sad to say that this is a tipical day in the city.. this s… is gettin old…
There are many undercover darkness going on in Belize for many years by unsuspected individuals, and it only come to light if the truth come out after someone is murdered in what is term, cold blood. Unfortunately law enforcement in Belize lact the real sophistication to deal with these developing assasins as the many unsolved killing indicates. Make no mistake, where there is smoke there is fire, and if we play with fire chances are we will get burn.
Why is it that everytime a young man get killed in Belize some young lady is involve however for some reason the young lady never get shot.I assume that some of these young ladys are being used are apart of the criminal element.What a shame.
The Belize government is acting CLUELESS!!! Belize will suffer a great deal…
To Ms Anderson-You have my deepest sympathy. I am praying for you and your family that you will find closure in finding out the murderers of ur son. Please remember this short passage from the bible and say it everyday and you will see the result: ‘Don,t be afraid, for I am with you.Don,t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.’ Isiah 41:10. I say this verse in all my troubles and GOD hear my prayers.Please know that all of us here in Brooklyn are praying for your family.
Mr Barrow, why not just disbnd the Police Department and let the criminals run the country. They kill and one of two things happen, they are aquitted or they are sent to the “Christian Prison” in Hattieville. What a joke a “Christian Prison”. It is a prison that offers a christian program Mr Woods. Sir, there is no such thing as a christian prison. This is why killing is no problem in Belize, becaseu there is no consequence, the prisoners have all the rights, the guards none. Mr Woods do not waste anymore money sending people to New Mexico, unless you want to run the prison like a prison. Wake up and move into reality.
I agree with you Byron, I have been going to Belize for three years now and have many great friends there. But dead is dead, and now the crime has turned a new corner of being deadly for everyone, all the time, in all four corners of Belize. This will kill investment by foreigners, and take its toll on an already fragile economy. Someone must take action now, or the damage will become irreversible and many opportunties will be lost.
If the Belizean government were capable to follow up on the Crook’s Report, I believe we could see some major changes. Lack of funding seems to be the major drawback.
Anyhow, I thought readers would like to see a case study of a city that managed to make a huge turn around after changes were implemented (with the help of funding). Also note the crackdown on internal corruption — something that seems to be discussed very often in this news forum.
New Orleans — The turnaround from 1994 to 2000.
Taken from:
http://www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?knlgAreaID=119&subsecID=213&contentID=2155
Before the turnaround, New Orleans was in a slow downward spiral and, in 1994, the city hit bottom. With 425 murders and equally alarming numbers in other crime categories, America’s favorite Mardi Gras destination also earned the title of America’s most violent city. Tourists were being scared away, new businesses were on hold, downtown construction was nearly at a standstill. Longtime residents were fleeing New Orleans for the suburbs. Things were so miserable that the city was tainted with the ultimate symbolic badge of dishonor, an exposi on “60 Minutes” by Mike Wallace.
(How did New Orleans manage to make a drastic turnaround that saw between 1994 and 1999, the murder rate fall 63 percent, assaults drop 60 percent, and armed robberies go down by 49 percent?)
Keys to the New Orleans Police Department turnaround were:
A crackdown on internal corruption (fueled in part by the U.S. attorney and the FBI) that led to nearly 200 dismissals and criminal charges, including two murder convictions of police officers;
Decentralization of personnel to neighborhoods, with increased responsibilities and accountability for district commanders;
Reintroduction of community policing with federal support, including substations in public housing projects;
Dramatic pay increases and stringent recruitment standards, including the hiring of 500 new officers to bring the department up to the minimum recommended strength of 1,700;
An infusion of federal funds and the strong engagement of the local business community to purchase new equipment, finance salary increases, and reduce the need for police officers to accept corruption-prone moonlighting jobs as private security;
Rigorous accountability procedures based on the COMSTAT reporting and tracking system developed by former New York Deputy Police Commissioner Jack Maple; the system drives accountability down the chain of command to the officer on the beat.
Great insight Ron and Byron, We need more folks like you speaking the hard truth as seen from outside.
I went to school with Kashif and he was so loving to everyone around him, went I saw the news yesterday I could not believe it, it was so sad and still is. I just hope that the police do their job and find the person in charge, and if they do not then to the family of Kashif the bigger man up above saw everything and he will see that justice be made.
and yet the UDP government find it fit to lower funding in the fight against crime. do they not realize that the Belizean economy is crippling b/c of all of this ppl are living in fear. I am sure that far less people will go out now and spend money b/c it is safer to just stay at home
ok i make sure i read and listen to the news every time it airs,and it is sad wat happen but ppl lets face reality from my knowledge of the street life ( an i muss say i know a bit ) crime like dis dont juss happen for no reason 2 gun man and 10 shot dat mean some ting das all iam saying rip
Sorry to say, but the police is not the real problem. Eventhough I like the submission from J.P. our situation is a social one. Yes the Police operational directive needs a drastic change, but this needs to be supported by the judical, and the Policy (Cabinet). As a society we dont value life, we dont love each other anymore, we Belizeans have gone cold! Cold blooded murder is the result. We need to make that change as indivduals, as friends, and neighbour, community. We are to blame, not the police! We are committing crime and tolerating crime. We as a people need to make the change. The Police cannot do that.
All I have are fond memories of Kashif as a schoolmate. He is not my first Belizean friend that I have lost to gun violence and sadly I do not think he will be the last. What hurts even more is that Belize does not have the capability to properly investigate his murder despite the cries for justice. My only hope is that the Government of Belize look into their budget and find the finances for a proper Forensic department to complement their ‘police investigations’. I know of a few Belizeans who have had an interest to serve their country in this capacity but who have been turned away due to lack of funding and no job openings. To Kashif’s family, I am so sorry for your loss. He was a great guy and did not deserve this. My prayers are with you.
This makes me real sad because Kash as i call him,was a very nice guy.I can still hear his laughter and his sometimes loud voice when he’s trying to get a point across.Like so many other Belizean,he really didn’t deserve the way his final exit was played out.I hope he will rest in peace because his expiration date was so sudden and i’m sure he had many unfinished business in his very short life.I wish the best for his mom and know that the Good Lord will take care of all this.He probably had better plans for Kash and we would never understand because of the pain in our hearts.Go rest in peace Kash.You’re gone but will never be forgotten.
I’m so sick and tired of turing on the news and read about all these grieving Mother’s and family members losing their love ones to senseless crimes in Belize and you hardly ever come back and read that so and so was areested for murder !what is the Government of Belize doing ?i remember not long ago you could walk from King’s park to Pen Road any hours of the day or night and you good people had each other’s back .it’s really ,really sad they have to come to some kinda solution to try and start deterring the high crime rate in Belize because TOO MUCH PEOPLE ARE LOSING THEIR LIFE SENSELESSLY!!!Peace goes out to the Anderson andJefferies family.God Bless!!
I have left Belize thirty nine years ago, when I went back couple years for the first time, I was amaized at the changes in Belize, the conjestion the fightings and the killings, I was so afraid to go out in the streets at night, the gunshots weree unbearable, if I can help it I would never want to go back to Belize under these circumsatnces.
To the mother of Kashif you have my deepest sympathy for the loss of your son, and hoping and praying that the Police will find the killers of this young man and all the other victims that I have read about.
As a belizean living abroad it,s scarey to think of another vacation in the jewel?(my place of birth,my home)These canadians a perfectly right in their statement as to where tourism can be affected by these crimes. The government-police,bdf, supreme courts,lawyers,ministers,members of the house,etc must take accion now or we Belizeans living abroad will be forced to seek better/ safer places to vacation with our families. Act NOW,word is going around that Belize is NOT a safe place anymore.
Thank you Belize It. So I will put some numbers to my statement. In the last 6 months I know of personally in my network at least 30 people who were considering Belize as a retirement goal or at the less a secondary vacation home location. This has now changed as they have been put off by the unspeakable crime which includes, grenade attacks, shooting of innocent bystanders which inlclude children, with no regard, robberies that result in senseless murder, police corruption and the list goes on. Previously, the crime mostly related to petty theft and gang violence, was written off by these people as inner city social problems (as even we have gang violence) and petty theft the result of a poor nation. The new Belize emerging from the above has changed their view.
So, 30 people, just in my network alone, most likely represent at least 20 million BZD in real estate investment, and a probable yearly income spent in Belize of at least 40,000.00 BZD per year over the lifetime of their retirement or stay in Belize. So that alone is 1,200,000 BZD per year. This is estimates of the potential economic loss of just my network alone. This is no small amount. That does not even include the social and economic change their presence would bring to Belize, as most of these people have above average business skills and compassion to help. it is a dire loss indeed and my story is magnified many times now.
R.I.P. BIG BRO ='(
My sweet sweet litttle cousin Kash, I can still hear your voice and your laughter, how we miss you so much. So hard for us to accept you will not be with us anymore, we miss you dearly. The good Lord had other plans for you baby boy, you will always be with us, always. Love you, miss you!
Am so sorry for this guy, he was so innocent , And I feel it for his family.I hope that the Jeffries get justice they so deserve.Just want you all to know I will have yu all in My prayers.
To my wonderful cousin Trevor Jeffries as well as the great mother of Kashif you are in my prayers every day. I pray that God gives you both the strength to go on. To go on and let your voices ring out across the land of Belize about the senseless murder of your son, my cousin Kashif. Do not let these low life, slata house, cow guts a…….. get away with this. These sanava b……. are nothing but cowards. only cowards use guns , real men uses their fists. but don’t worry ,God sees and knows all things and he will deal with them accordingly, for he is a just God. I know without the shadow of a doubt he will give you both the courage to change the things you can. Don’t be silent don’t be afraid of these animals who did this to kashif. Let your voices be heard. Kashif would be proud of you to stand up to these two scum of the earth. LOVE YOU BOTH
wow!! almost a year but seems like yesterday wen they said “shak, he’s in the morgue” I belive that this small little belize is a circle. One day their family will hav their time to grieve!! R.I.P Kash!
RIP KASH! Today makes a year since you’ve left us, feels just like yesterday u were here talking and running jokes with us, u are miss by many especially your family and close friends.
Continue shinning that bright smile down on us!
Love u kash!
RIP KASH! Today makes a year since you’ve left us, feels just like yesterday u were here talking and running jokes with us, u are miss by many especially your family and close friends.
Continue shinning that bright smile down on us!
Love & Miss u kash!
Im crying today Kash…….Im not sure why so much today…maybe its because I miss you sooooo much! A year has passed by……….. we are no closer to finding out who killed you. There is not one day that I dont cry for you my most humble son. LOVE YOU KASH! Rest In Peace!
TODAY, i sit here an remember your beautiful smile. and how you use to cheer me up kash…i love you and not a day goes by that i dont think of you… i miss you and i know you are looking down on us..
luv ya
You are truly one of the reasons why I decided to study the field I’m in. Sad to say that our country needs far more than just forensics personally. As I sit at home I cannot quite put my finger on what exactly made my mind go on u today. I don’t know if I am missing our classroom days at holy redeemer, if i’m missing those brown eyes tearing up as u laugh, if I’m missing skipping class and going to ur apt or if I am missing u coming to visit me when I come to Belize… I guess ultimately I just miss my Swanka…. Although I have been away from Belize for a while now, I do not have to be there to know u did not deserve this. Hopefully I can one day assist your family as well as many others in finding justice. I love you and rest in peace until we meet again my friend
this still hurts me deeply today. i still wish its not true. i hate that i couldnt be there for u. i still wish that i could talk to u. i miss u so very much. rest in peace my good friend and i pray that i can c u again some day
this still hurts me deeply today. i dont know y they did it or who did it. y they targeted u. y u. y jus y. i hate them i really do. u were a special person and we could talk about any and evrything. they stole my friend. i still wish its not true. i hate that i couldnt be there for u. i still wish that i could talk to u. i miss u so very much. i love u man, rest as peaceful as u can. your executors will be found and punish. then i pray that i can c u again some day
its been some time now, and every morning i wake up hoping that i get a call from you..hmmm..life is not the same without you…everytime i hear a ninga bike passing….i would look around hoping to see my baby…i tattoo your name across my heart to hold you dear to my heart. u will always be my angel..i think ofyou today in tears because today marks a verry special day for us..i love you
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