Three teens held for murder of 81 year old in Corozal

When you reach the milestone of eighty years of age you can’t help but think about your eventual demise. But the last way most octogenarians would want to think about passing is as a murder victim. Today I travelled to Corozal to investigate Belize’s latest homicide.

Clive Duesbury, Son of Murder Victim
“He called it home. He took pride in saying he lived here than most Belizeans. I think he considered himself certainly more Belizean than British.”

Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
But sometime between late Saturday night and early Sunday morning someone viciously took the life of eighty-one year old Harry Duesbury. According to Clive Duesbury it was his mother who made the gruesome discovery around six-thirty on Sunday morning.

Clive Duesbury
“Every morning she goes and checks on my dad and as she went she didn’t get the normal response – he usually wakes up quite early – and she’s the one who found the body.”

The elderly man was found lying in his own pool of blood in his upstairs bedroom.

Supt. Joseph Myvett, O.C. Corozal Police Station
“We observed the body of the deceased Mr. Harry Duesbury on his bed with injuries to the right side of his chest which appears to be stab wounds as well as to the right temple, there was an injury to the right side of his temple.”

The killer or killers also took their victim’s black briefcase containing personal items and documents. The police say also missing is Duesbury’s point twenty-five pistol and his shotgun.

Jacqueline Godwin
“Initial investigations suggest that there was no forced entry. Does the family believe that he may have been killed by someone he knew?”

Clive Duesbury
“I guess you could call it hearsay or so…I think there would be a strong reason to think that way and I believe this is one of the line of inquiries that the police are pushing. We are in no position to say who is guilty or who is innocent but I certainly think that it appears to be a good starting point, yes.”

Supt. Joseph Myvett
“No locks were broken after we examined the house; at no point was there ant forced entry observed.”

Jacqueline Godwin
“Do you all believe that he let these people inside the room.”

Supt. Joseph Myvett
“Our investigation is leading us to believe that someone who he is familiar with called him by name thereafter he may have got up to allow that person entry.”

Sources tell News Five that at the crime scene police also recovered evidence that may have led them to detain three young men ages fourteen to seventeen years old.

Jacqueline Godwin
“Are these individuals strong suspects?”

Supt. Joseph Myvett
“At this point we would want to say so because we know from our investigations they have been visitors to the deceased.”

“From our investigations we know that they visited him to play computer games and as well he may have been giving them some computer lessons from time to time.”

The police are now investigating to see if the victim was killed by one of the young persons he assisted. Duesbury says his dad moved to Belize over forty years ago as a civil engineer who helped to develop the northern district but that it was only two years ago that he moved to San Andres Village in the Corozal District where he worked closely with youths to help them stay out of trouble.

Clive Duesbury
“My dad was more than willing to do so whether it was basic math, getting away from bad crowds, that sort of stuff, so he would being them in and they have access to internet for investigations, playing games if it’s just to spend their time other than being out there just doing something mischievous or so.”

The property was also available for the youths to lodge and have a meal.

Supt. Joseph Myvett
“We believe that we are going in the positive direction at this point in time and we may see some arrest soon.”

Meanwhile, the Duesbury family is appealing to anyone who may have seen or heard anything that can assist the police to please call the nearest station or Crime Stoppers at 0-800-922-8477. Some of the projects Harry Duesbury worked on include the Northern and Western highways and the Tower Hill Bridge.