Chronicle of a Death Foretold; murder victim knew where he’d die
bejohn martinez
At news time tonight, there are two suspects in the latest homicide which took the life of BeJohn Martinez. The twenty-five year old was found clinging to life near the Haulover Bridge this morning with a gunshot to his head. He was transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where he expired shortly after. Martinez is known to have had many encounters with the law but has never been convicted. One of the two brothers under question turned crown witness in one of the cases against Martinez involving a robbery at Diamond Motel, which is located in the vicinity of where he was shot. News Five’s Jose Sanchez reports on murder victim number ninety-nine.
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
This morning, twenty five year old BeJohn Martinez lay on a pool of blood on the first feeder road over the Haulover Bridge. Media colleague Love FM’s Patrick Jones reported from the scene that he was still alive when he checked his pulse. Jones called for an ambulance which arrived after and rushed the shooting victim to the hospital.
sgt. fitzroy yearwood
Sergeant Fitzroy Yearwood, Police Press Officer
“Initial investigation revealed that one Bejohn Martinez received a single gunshot wound to the left, rear portion of the head. He was transported by ambulance to Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where he is presently undergoing treatment. For our investigation purposes, I would like to leave it as that. And then hopefully by the end of the day I could give you more details on this incident.”
Jose Sanchez
“Has he been charged with any crime before?”
Sgt. Fitzroy Yearwood
“We’re not going in depth into the incident, but yes he has something before the court.”
Roland Parks, Reporter
“You said you received information about a shooting. Can you say anything about the shooters at this point?”
Sgt. Fitzroy Yearwood
“Now we will not reveal anything about the shooters.”
Roland Parks
“But you have information?”
Sgt. Fitzroy Yearwood
“We do and we’re following the leads.”
But while the leads were being followed, Martinez passed away. His life was dotted with court appearances. In 2007, he was arrested and charged with the attempted murder and robbery of a fruit vendor, Silas Molina. Diamond Motel, on the Northern Highway, was robbed on February fifteenth 2009 and Martinez and two other suspects were also charged for that incident. This morning, his sister says his passing was the Chronicle of a Death Foretold.
Keisha Martinez, Sister of BeJohn Martinez
“He had bad experiences with the police. One of the things he does always tell me; he said when police pick him up, he always make them come drop him here and make we see that dah police ker deh because dehn had couple police who threaten him and told him they would find his body around Haulover bridge, around the Haulover area.”
Jose Sanchez
“Does this give you great concern that was where he was found?”
keisha martinez
Keisha Martinez
“Yes. It gives me concern, great concern. Because couple days he no gone no way. He usually lef from yah da mawning. When he left from ya he drop off eh girlfriend off dah school and he come right back.”
His body was found near the Haulover where he expected to die. The Martinez family adopted him at nine months, when his mother left for the USA. But despite being nurtured in a disciplined home at 7166 Vernon Street, Bejohn followed his own path.
Francis Martinez, Father of BeJohn Martinez
“In this family we have good discipline. But for some reason when BeJohn got into his preadolescent years, we just couldn’t control him. And ever since he took the bad road, despite all the counseling, all he did was keep bad friends. That’s all I can say about him.”
Jose Sanchez
“Do you expect any of those friends—you know that he may have been implicated with in different courtroom settings—to come around?”
Francis Martinez
francis martinez
“His friends never come around this house. In fact, I always tell him noh, you and your bad friends stay far please. And that’s what he did, sir. So what he does out there, who are his friends out there? We don’t know.”
Jose Sanchez
“Normally you would find family members find excuses for their bad behavior, but you’re doing the total opposite—you don’t condone it.”
Francis Martinez
“I didn’t condone it sir. I am telling you that from the bottom of my heart. We tried to educate him, we tried to put him through trade school, but it just didn’t take.”
Keisha Martinez
“BeJohn, I know the bad side ah him; I know the good side of him. We laugh, we talk, me and he go out. So that dah all I could seh about ahn. He will be sadly missed because I have my two daughters and they always looked forward to see him.”
Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.
one less bad man pan the street….. word out. if dah police kill ah better yet. they are doing their jobs now.
even the grandpa know he was not innocent. hats off to you grandpa, reminded me a lot of my grandpa “no bs in my yard”
The criminals are taking the criminals off the streets.
Goodbye 99.
Wow!! sad that he die like this but good for his parents, they are not making excuses for his bad behavior. As parents we can only try our best, it is up to the child once he becomes a certain age to want to learn and be a productive citizen. I am sure the parents feel sad and wish there were more that they could have done for him but he chooses his path.
I knew Bijhon. He knew what he use to b doing was wrong n yet he continued on that road. I’m not upset, even though he’s an acquaintance it’s just his past catching up on him.
The Martinez tried with him. Mr Martinez deserves respect. He told it as it is, he didn’t condone Bijhon or his friends around him n his family. He didn’t come on the news n cry n lie abt he was a good boy, never messed with anybody. I wish more parents would do the same.
U know if u do bad, bad follows u, so he got what he had coming.
Young people, no matter what, your past will catch up with u, people don’t always forgive n forget.
Condolences to the Martinez family.
……………
SAD…………. he could have been somebody. HE COULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD CITIZEN!!!
I AGREE WID EARL, DAT HE CUUD HAVE BEEN A GOOD BZEAN, BUT HE CHOOSE OTHERWISE!!!!!
Concerned Citizen & Jay u are both some ignorant …….. sumone child died be sympathetic death is for everyone u never know how u or ur family members will go think before you speak it just reflects on your ignorance!
I don’t feel sorry for anybody in this case “sp”. Everyone agrees that he was a bad man. If police did it, good job. Face the truth, everyone can choose their own road, and yes, we all die someday, but how? we can choose that ourselves. As for bad people and robbers, to hell with them. let them drown in their own pool of blood.
Sad. They said he had a girlfriend at Edward P Yorke. He’s 25. She better be a staff and not a student.
its sad he died a brutal death…and death is always sad but the reality far exceeds that of death..look here the guy own family no want him around..and yes he will be missed by some ppl(those who have not yet realized that his death is more beneficial to belize than his existence…)his time has “expired” (harsh relaity)…. the situation in belize is getting out of hand and am tiad of innocent ppl dieing..i feel no remorse wen a known criminal dies…1 less person i wil fear as i walk the streets of belize…i hope his girlfriend was a worker at the EPY…and not a student..even with that said…he not only rob us our freedom but these men are chancing our young women (who seem to be idiots themselves caught up in the wrong world)…i prefer a million criminals die..(wat ever death comes to them) ..than an innocent child caught in the cross fire…..i cant believe that some ppl up here write the things they do and try defend this guy…i mean do u relaize that belize is finding itself in a situation ….diggind itself deeper into a ditch..i say get all the criminals put them in aline..give them their last supper (not that they deserve it) and shoot them ….am sorry to be blunt but to each his own and that good thing is that freedom of speech still exists…
Who are you spa? you are unbelievable. Do you live in Belize? the family are not shedding any tears because they knew from his choice, what the result would be…. It is sad, but even God gives us free choices, He said there is life and death, and just in case we are too slow in understanding, He tells us to choose life, but many of us are so dence, we choose death all the time ….THE WAY OF THE TRANGRESSORS ARE HARD!
he was and still is my brother so no matter what u people say bad about him i will always miss him.but i know who the shooter is they will die the same way he did its only right so if they have family in my area i will start with them 1st let the killing beggin belize here i come
i knew bejohn when the martinez family first adopted him. he was such a happy kid. he made his own destiny that brought him to his end, but no one should be killed like a dog. i feel so sorry for his family because no matter what they loved him.
U guys on here are so …… brutal and heartless. Just imagine if this was a son, father or brother of yours u would not talking all this …. on here knowing that ur sibling was a known criminal evrrn though his family not shedding tears on tv their tear up at his funeral. His biological family is mourning his death, so all the bs that’s happeinig in belize the crimes,killikngs and everything eslse its happeining all around the world not just to you get the …. out the box……..So think to your self if somebody harmed or in this situation killed your son or father or brother a realitive period you would be furious and would want to know something so don’t sit up here and talk … if it happen to this family ut could …. happen to you so be carefull what you say.GOD DON’T LIKE UGLY