Rene Vega killed in his Santa Elena house

Rene Vera

The one hundred and fortieth murder victim for 2012 is from the Cayo District. And though many of the previous murders are gang related, this particular crime is not. Police have detained a relative of the victim, Rene Vera, for questioning regarding the stabbing. News Five’s Duane Moody headed west this morning and tried to put the pieces together of Vera’s shattered life.

Duane Moody, Reporting

It was a gruesome murder in Santa Elena Town that claimed the life of thirty-six year old Rene Vera. Vera’s family describes the scene was a bloody one that ended with his lifeless body on the ground inside one of the bedrooms of his house on Bishop Martin Street. The shocking discovery was made by his roommate sometime around two-thirty on Saturday afternoon.

Erin Gillett, Niece of Deceased

“His roommate came home Saturday evening like around three. He said and he told everybody else that when he walked in through the front door; he saw the front door open. He thought that my uncle just di do something or working in the house. He called his friend and his friend came into the house and saw the blood on the floor from the next room. So she opened the door and they see the foot. So quick, they started screaming and the girl called the police.  There was blood everywhere. There was blood in the kitchen sink like he washed his hand and he left. There was blood on the wall, by the table. A small table behind them was broken. There was blood in my uncle’s room and the next room where they found. But we don’t understand it because there is blood on the wall, there is blood in the two rooms and then they have a white carpet and there is no blood on that or the chair.”

But it appears that Vera had been entertaining some guests, early that week. On Thursday he was seen partying with a group of persons including a relative at the Princess Casino in San Ignacio and at a popular karaoke bar. But that was the last anyone would have seen of Vera because he was stabbed up to nine times to the chest, back and neck. There was also a huge gash to the head.

Erin Gillett

“He walked into the house and his eyes went straight to the table and he saw that there was glass there and liquor. And he di call for my uncle and no answer. They stabbed him nine times.”

Duane Moody

“To which parts of the body?”

Erin Gillett

Erin Gillett

“I’m not sure, but I know there was in his back, his heart, his throat and that’s all that they told me. We think it is a fight, but it has to be more than one person because I know my uncle get into fight before. And this person have to be small. My uncle, he could beat somebody if it is one on one, but if it is more than one, I don’t think he could.”

The family believes that Vera fought for his life against several persons, but they are still lost as to a motive for his murder.

Erin Gillett

“My uncle was a people person. He was fun to hang out with; love to party; love music; love to joke around and he was like that. Always at home playing his music loud every weekend every time and he used to care about people. My uncle heng with a whole lotta people; probably have parties every weekend—henging out and things like that. This one, it was surprise. They said there were certain people hanging with him for so long, but he is family to us and we won’t believe that he would have done it; the person. So it’s hard to believe in a way.”

On Saturday, Vera’s roommate was initially detained for questioning and subsequently released. The relative, to whom Gillett was referring, is one of Vera’s cousins, a twenty-one year old last seen with Vera before he met his untimely death. That cousin had bruises and scratches on his face and body and has since been detained by San Ignacio Police for questioning. Duane Moody for News Five.