Suspect in murder freed; may help prosecution

Seven months ago, the brutal murder of a Belize City businessman in front of his young son rocked the old capital, but tonight, one of the two men charged with the crime is walking the streets. Four days after the shooting death of fifty-one year old Michael Burns, seventeen year old Kareem Gladden and eighteen year old Keith Lewis were arrested and arraigned for his murder. However, in court today, Magistrate Dorothy Flowers, acting on instructions from the Director of Public Prosecutions, officially withdrew the charge against Gladden. It is suspected that Gladden will now assist the D.P.P.’s case against the accused triggerman. Burns was shot in the head at close range by a lone gunman near his vending stall on Freetown Road in front of the Y.W.C.A. building. His nine year old son and common-law wife were witnesses to the incident. As Burns lay dead on the pavement, his killer searched his pockets and then fled the scene with another man.