Samuel Miguel smashed on the head with a cement block and dies

Samuel Miguel

There were two murders over the weekend and by any account both were senseless. Early on Saturday morning, the body of Samuel Miguel was found in a parking lot on Cemetery Road. Weeks ago, the twenty-two year old landed his first job at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital and had just received his pay check. But something went awfully wrong on Friday night and he was bashed on the head with a cement block and left to die near a homeless center. Miguel is the cousin of Krik Smith Junior, who died after being shot at a graduation party at the Brown Sugar Marketplace. Police confirmed that there are no links between the two murders, but that two persons have been detained for questioning for Miguel’s murder. Duane Moody reports.

Dianne Finnegan, Coordinator, Youth Apprenticeship Program

“Quiet young man…you wouldn’t know he is in the Friday sessions until you call the register and he responds to his name. And it is so coincidental that on Friday I was commending him for his patience, for a job well done. He was doing his apprenticeship work at the K.H.M.H. in the maintenance section and I spoke to Mister Segura, his supervisor, who said excellent, excellent young man. He was working for the past seven weeks since the program began.”

Duane Moody, Reporting

The body of twenty-two year old Samuel Steven Miguel, a resident of West Street in Belize City, was found in a parking lot on Cemetery Road. Dressed in only a pair of blue checkered boxer, Miguel had a deep and huge cut wound to the head and an apparent stab wound to the right side of the face. He was bashed in the head with a cement block.

Jorge Villanueva

Insp. Jorge Villanueva, Operation Commander, Precinct 1, Belize City Police

“At five-fifty-five a.m., CIB police visited an open parking lot in from of the Raymond Parks Homeless Shelter where they observed a dark male person with what appeared to be, with apparent stab wound to the head and with apparent stab wound to the right side of his face.”

Reporter

“Are you able to tell us why Mister Samuel was in this particular location at that time?”

Insp. Jorge Villanueva

“Well there is a lot of speculation, information at this point. We just need to confirm after we interview these two persons that we have in our custody.”

Miguel, an apprentice with vocational training in electrical, became gainfully employed with the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital seven weeks ago. After working out some issues with his social security card, he was finally able to collect his seven weeks of salary the day before he was killed. He was reportedly last seen socializing with two females.

Dianne Finnegan

Dianne Finnegan

“I can’t imagine what could have happened or could have led to him being murdered. He was socializing on Friday night with one of our apprentices and so he knew that everything was okay and it was good. After that is when all this happened. On Saturday morning Tanya, my secretary, sent me a text message and said that Samuel was found dead. And I said how could this be, you know. It is cruel; it is cruel. I can’t understand what could be the purpose of another human wanting to kill someone. And if it was his stipend they wanted, join my program so you could get your weekly stipend too, but he works hard.  If she knew that her son was a trouble maker, if she knew that her son…that this would have eventually been his destiny, then it is okay. As she told me on Saturday morning, he left home saying I am going to the bank to get my stipend and I am coming back and he never did.”

Insp. Jorge Villanueva

“At this time, the police have detained two persons and are investigating the matter. At this point I do not want to mention any names because we have a lead and it may lead to some arrest.”

Duane Moody

“Sir, motive behind this?”

Insp. Jorge Villanueva

“Well like I said before, we don’t want to speculate here. The investigation is still ongoing, we have two persons detained and as such, we might have someone or persons arrested in this incident.”

Coordinator of the Youth Apprenticeship Program in the Ministry of Education, Dianne Finnegan confirmed that this is the second person of the program to become a victim of violence and for her the situation is heart-wrenching and emotional when one of her youth is callously murdered.

Dianne Finnegan

“My heart got so full and I said to them—because I normally wish them a safe and a good weekend every Friday—and I said to them, when you hurt, it affects me and that’s why I say to you, don’t go on the block and hang out. Socialize and when you are through, go home because when things like this happen and I see you hurting, it hurts me too. So I remember closing off of Friday and I said to them, I am begging you please. But I was not referring to him because of the fact that he is not an individual who gives any kind of trouble.”

Duane Moody for News Five.