Student found dead behind building: murder or suicide?

Another death in the city involving a sixteen year old student remains inconclusive following a post mortem conducted this afternoon. The body of the deceased, a student of St. Michael’s College, was found behind the offices of the B.T.I.A. on North Cork Street. Marion Ali reports.

Marion Ali, Reporting
Close family and friends of sixteen year old Kevin Francis gathered in front of the Belize Tourism Industry Association building on North Cork Street near the Memorial Park where his body was discovered. He had reportedly been found early this morning hanging from a cord around his neck behind the building. His Uncle, Elton Jex, told us that Francis left home after he and his mother had an altercation on Saturday. That was the last time they saw him alive.

Elton Jex, Uncle of Deceased
“Deh can’t find ah, ih noh come home. Dis dah late Saturday night so Sunday come now, dehn still no find ah and ih noh come home. Well basically, until today somebody discovered the body.”

But while the autopsy was inconclusive because of the level of decomposition, the family strongly believe that Francis did not commit suicide. They feel he was beaten and then hung. And this they base on a previous shooting involving one of his relatives and with whom Francis was at the time.

Elton Jex
“Unfortunately, they came and they look for the gunman but they didn’t find the gunman and it was alleged that apparently they find Kevin and that’s when they cornered him.”

Lorna Wade, Friend of Deceased
“Dah lee bwai could neva kill ihself because dah wah lee bwai weh mi full ah life and wah lee bwai weh mi have dreams and mi really want fulfil ih dreams. Dat’s all I just want fi seh and as wah concerned mother I pray and ask God fi mek dehn find out who kill ah cause ih noh fair. Ih want be a fisherman, ih want help ih ma because dat weh ih all time di talk about; I want mek it dat I could help my ma fi get my ma from through di alley. Dat’s all dah lee bwai talk about so I know without wah fact and I dah wah mother too, dah noh he kill ihself.”

Elton Jex
“The officer who allow me to see his body lift up his shirt to show me his stomach. His stomach seems to me looks like he has a couple of bruises on his stomach and he was bleeding from his foot; one of his foot was bleeding from his mouth, through his ears.”

Marion Ali
“So you think he was beat up?”

Elton Jex
“I think he was beat and then the wire was tie round. There was a phone wire the police say that they cut from round his neck.”

Marion Ali
“Which was tied to what?”

Elton Jex
“To an iron cement railing on the building.”

And while the family are turning to the police for answers, tonight cops have no leads and continue to investigate. But that will not erase the pain of this youth’s family who will never get a chance to see him graduate from fourth form nor celebrate his seventeenth birthday, which would have been this past Sunday. reporting for News Five, Marion Ali.