Killed coming home from market; no leads yet

While thousands of Belizeans took advantage of the weekend?s balmy weather to enjoy recreation in every corner of the country, the last five days were not without tragedy. Three murders were recorded, the most recent occurring this morning in Belize City. News Five?s Kendra Griffith reports that this latest killing was not your average urban homicide.

Kendra Griffith, Reporting
At six-thirty this morning forty-three year old Francisco Mencias made his regular trip to the Queen Square market to buy groceries. Four hours later, his body was found in a yard across the street from his house at number twenty-three Cruman Road. Mencias was stabbed once to the back.

Neighbour
?I hear the screaming outside when she start scream from back yah and I come outside and then notice the bike throw weh ovah that side deh, the groceries, the green bag down deh so throw away inna the drain, and then it looks like when he gone back dah side deh, he deh throw weh over that side his eyes open and he frightened and lot ah ants deh pan on ah and thing.?

Around eight-thirty residents say they noticed the bicycle, knapsack, and a plastic bag strewn on the side of the street, but did not know who it belonged to. When they saw that the items were still there almost two hours later, they became suspicious.

Neighbour
?A lady from over that side say she past around eighty-thirty and she nevah see nothing, no bicycle out deh so. And then afterwards she gone dah the shop and when she come back she see the bike and she see a man throw weh deh so and she think he di bruk inna one ah the house and she gone and she call the police and the police no come. She call the police two times and police noh come. So she tek and come over this side and inform they one and that dah how come everybody get to know and when she gone deh so, we find out the man dead already.?

A trail of his possessions reveals that Mencias was probably running in a desperate attempt to elude his assailant. And while the killer?s intentions are not clear, robbery does not seem to be a motive.

Neighbour
?He had his wallet, he wife recover back his wallet, all his groceries, his bike, everything. He get back everything, so that very strange.?

Mencias? neighbours describe him as a quiet and friendly church-going man. Married for fourteen years, he and his wife Anita relocated to Belize from Honduras about ten years ago, and as far as she knows, there is no one who would want to harm?let alone kill him.

Anita Mencias, Wife (Translated from Spanish)
?She say he nuh have no enemy. He dah wah good man, lone friends, he no have no enemy.?

Kendra Griffith reporting for News 5.