Gunman Executes Elderly Roaring Creek Man

John Smith

In Monday’s newscast, we broke the news of the second murder in twenty days in Roaring Creek, just outside Belmopan. The details tonight are that an elderly man, John Smith, was shot once in the head by a gunman who simply walked up to him and fired the fatal shot. While Smith grasped for his final breath, the gunman stood watching nearby. But what could be the motive for the callous murder? Duane Moody went looking for answers today in Roaring Creek, which is now becoming a hotbed for criminals.  

Duane Moody, Reporting

Just before seven o’clock on Monday night, the life of sixty-one year old John Smith was callously taken several feet away from where he lived on Young Street in the village of Roaring Creek. Smith was on his way home when a lone gunman—dressed in camouflage long sleeve shirt, dark pants, a rubber boots and a stocking concealing his face—walked up to him and fired a single shot to his head.

Marcia Samuels, Sister of Murder Victim

“I hear something like pop shot and I got right up and fall back on my bed. When my daughter said mommy, come. Then time I noh the hear the neighbor di holler. Ih say come; dah mi uncle dehn kill. I get up and when I get pan the road, I see dah my bredda. Ih just fall then with ih foot like ina wah ‘K’ and ih eye open. I gone to ahn and I tell ahn close ih eye and fix ih foot.”

The gunman was not deterred even though the streets were well lit. And as Smith lay gasping his final breaths, the gunman fearlessly waited across the street, presumably to ensure that his target had lost his life.

Marcia Samuels

Marcia Samuels

“I noh see, I can’t say dah who, but the neighbor dehn see. The person had on mask. The person walk with him from weh distance and come close, close and mussi talk to ahn and by the time ih do so, ih shub the bullet ina ahn and it come out this side yah so.  My cousin call ahn, di hail ahn, say ih see this person so closed to ahn and when she hear the thing gone off, she couldn’t even believe because she di ask ahn dah who you? Dah who? So ih went over there by the neighbor over there street and hide between the trooper—mussi fi make sure ih dead—because when I gone and hold ahn, ih mi still warm. My daughter, Marcie, she was the first one weh reach there and when ih get there, ih heart still yet the beat.  Ih noh run. My daughter have ih black car there…ih take ih slow time and ih walk gone. Dah when ih hear the neighbor holler for me, Marcia, Marcia…then ih run. Dah then ih run. Brazen, brazen, brazen…because the news weh I mi di look pan dah when dehn the show about the cycle in Belmopan and the accident. So dah early thing. Duane the whole of our street…we noh fraid hear because light.”

“Jatta,” as he was affectionately known, was no troublemaker. His sister, Marcia Samuels says she last saw him on Monday morning as she left for work. The family is puzzled as to why anyone would want him dead.

Marcia Samuels

“I noh know. I noh know why and I woulda ask the person why because he can’t fight. He can’t nothing. He is a peaceful person, he likes children; ih deh all about. Dah wah run man; you could get ahn do anything for you, but noh got ahn out late dah night because ih noh like it.”

Duane Moody

“Are you guys afraid now?”

Marcia Samuels

“Yes, we fear. We fear, fear, fear because yo know what, dehn come around and yo noh know who is who. The dog dehn friendly with them so dehn woudla come in any hours of the night. Maybe if dehn neva find ahn pan the street, dehn mi wah come right here and kill ahn.”

Duane Moody

“You think he saw something he was not supposed to see?”

Marcia Samuels

“I think so. I think so. Only he and god knows. Only he and god knows what. And he knows his killer, but ih can’t tell we. Ih can’t tell we.”

No one has been detained in connection with murder number four for the Belmopan jurisdiction. Duane Moody for News Five.