Mother of the murdered Balona brothers fears entire family will be killed

Martita Requeña

Valley of Peace resident, Martita Requeña, has lost two of her sons in less than a month, both of them murdered. The two brothers, Marlon Flores and Raul Balona, were allegedly being sought by Police, since they were considered suspects in the murder of Canadian missionary Brian Townsend, killed at Christmas time. The violent murders of the two men less than six weeks after the death of Townsend could be mere coincidence, but Requeña is convinced that there is a connection. She maintains that her sons were innocent, but were executed in retaliation. And she alleges that the Police Department is involved. Requeña is living in a state of terror, convinced that her entire family will be killed.  Mike Rudon has been following the incredible story and has the exclusive.

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Mike Rudon, Reporting

This is the compound owned by Canadian missionary Brian Townsend, murdered, Police believe, on Christmas Eve night. Though they would not release names officially, Police were immediately looking at Townsend’s neighbors, in particular brothers Marlon Flores and Raulito Balona. Martita Requeña knows her sons were no angels, and they had problems with Townsend before which had landed them in jail.

Martita Requeña, Mother of Murdered Brothers

“Yes they had a problem. The Canadian accused them of stealing. And he took them to the courts and they put them in jail. Then I took my sons from jail because they went to jail, to Hattieville, and I bailed them.”

But she maintains that neither Marlon nor Raulito was in Valley of Peace when the Canadian was killed, so they could not have had anything to do with his murder. Marlon, she says, spent Christmas in Ladyville.

Raul Balona

Martita Requeña

“He come stay with my biggest son…he chop the yard. All the neighbors from my son knew that Marlon was here. He was not in Valley of Peace. That Christmas night when the Canadian was lost, Marlon spent Christmas right here because one lady, the neighbor of my son, she gave dinner to him that night and she is one witness we have that Marlon is here. That’s why I know that it’s not my son.”

Mike Rudon

“And then Raulito…where was Raulito?”

Brian Townsend

Martita Requeña

“Raulito told me that he would go find work in Placencia. I never knew anything about him. He didn’t come back…he didn’t stay in my home. I don’t know where he was. But I don’t think it was him cause always when he come to Valley of Peace he reach to my house and he didn’t reach that night, he didn’t reach and in that time I didn’t know if he was dead or alive because the Police had already started to accuse him because he didn’t come back home.”

That’s where the story gets a little strange. As far as everybody knew, the Police have been on a manhunt for the brothers since Christmas, but Requeña says they knew exactly where Marlon was because she told them.

Martita Requeña

“They said that it was Raul and Marlon who were suspects in the death of the white man. Why did they suspect them? And they said that Marlon ran from the Police, but Marlon didn’t run from the Police because he worked right here and when they went to ask for Marlon, Hilberto and Raul, I told them that Marlon is right here in Ladyville, Hilberto is in Benque with my sister and Raul went to work. I told them that Marlon is here. They didn’t want to come and take Marlon from Ladyville. If they think that Marlon did that why didn’t they come to pick him up from here?”

And even stranger than that, she says that Marlon had a court case on January fourteenth in Belmopan. He went to Court and the Police did not pick him up. That same day he told her that he would spend a week with her, and on that Sunday, January nineteenth, she was called with the news that Marlon was dead.

Martita Requeña

“Sunday at four o’clock the Police went to my house and told me that they found Marlon dead in the village of La Gracia. They said that somebody found him. He didn’t have on any clothes and there were some leaves on top of him to cover the body. One young lady saw when Paulino talked to Marlon that Saturday night when he came out. She saw him. But she doesn’t want to say anything because when she found out that Marlon was dead, she got frightened. She got frightened and she doesn’t want to talk anymore.”

That witness is possibly the last person who saw Marlon alive, and he was in the company of a Police Officer who is known to have killed before at least twice. Because of that, and threats she has received, Requeña is convinced that her whole family is being targeted.

Martita Requeña

“I don’t want to kill anybody for the murder of my sons. I leave it in the hands of God because God will do the justice. But I want the people to see…if we don’t have the protection of the Police, who will protect us. If they will kill all my sons who will protect us? I think that the Police are to protect the Belizean people and anybody.”

Marlon Flores was nineteen years old, while Raul was twenty-one. Mike Rudon for News Five.