Kidnap is now a murder

The discovery of the body did not come as a surprise, but it did not make the notion of murder any more acceptable. News Five’s Jacqueline Woods reports on an abduction that has now become a case of homicide.

Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
The body of thirty-three year old Celestino Zetina was found in some bushes near mile three and a half on the Western Highway. The corpse was decomposed and displayed physical injuries to the neck and body, multiple stab wounds, and one gunshot to the back. At the roadside scene, police recovered a number of expended shells. Authorities say based on the body?s condition they strongly suspect Zetina was killed the same day he was reportedly kidnapped over a week ago. The family says that although they had feared the worst, they never gave up hope of finding their loved one alive.

Dorotero Zetina, Father of the Deceased
?I Just say that we missed Celest badly and after four, five days we figure that something bad had happen to him. Because from the time we heard that they hold him by gunpoint, we know something terrible had happened.?

Roberto Zetina, Brother of the Deceased
?Well from the way they said, they took the man you know, and a whole week already, Celest mi wah try reach home. He mi wah call, he would do something you know, to let we know he straight.?

Shermaine Zetina, Wife of the Deceased
?You know he has five kids and with me and he has three other kids outside. Because Celest… he loved his family, you know, regardless of his past life he loved his family. And his kids are young and they will miss him terribly.?

Sources close to the case told News Five that the police have a number of suspects in custody and it was one of the men who led police to the crime scene.

Chester Williams, Office Commanding, C.I.B.
?Mr. Zetina went missing about a week and two days ago, and ever since then we have been working intensively, trying to determine the whereabouts of Mr. Zetina. Nonetheless, our investigation breakthrough this morning when we got a tip which led us to this location where we are, where we recovered the body of Mr. Zetina.?

The Zetina family gathered at the scene as police forensic personnel conducted a post-mortem on site. Dorotero Zetina says the last time he saw his son alive was at a family gathering that took place the day before he disappeared. Zetina says he knows his son was no angel and was attacked many times.

Dorotero Zetina
?Well I went to see the body and like they hurt him pretty bad. All his hand here was torn up. I went to identify him. Celest in the past had suffered a lot because he had some scars on his head, on his body, and in his two hands, he had steels in both his hands where two guys had chopped him up one time, so he passed through a lot.?

This time around the family believes it was an old murder that probably cost Zetina his life. Twelve years ago Zetina was detained in connection with the killing of John Hyde that occurred at the farmer?s market. Zetina was never charged for the murder, but since that time Shermaine Zetina says her husband had been repeatedly threatened.

Shermaine Zetina
?He always stated that in any case, to me, if he is found murdered, or missing, these guys would be the guys that hurt him.?

On Monday, police charged twenty-nine year old James Hyde with Zetina?s kidnapping. Today, police tell News Five that based on new information they have received it?s likely that Hyde will not be charged with the murder. At this time police would not comment on the or on a motive, but they say they are making good progress.

Chester Williams
?I don?t want to be too hasty to jump to any conclusions, but we are investigating the matter, and as soon as our investigation is complete, hopefully by tomorrow, we will be able to give a better answer as to the questions you are asking.?

?I cannot say at this time who we have detained and how many persons, but I can tell you that we?ll wrap up the investigation, hopefully by tomorrow.?

Shermaine Zetina, Wife of the Deceased
?We wanted him home. We didn?t want Celest dead, nobody wanted Celest dead, only maybe these you know these guys on the street that hated him. Nobody wanted him dead.?

Following the Post mortem, the Zetina family placed Celestino?s body in a casket and then transported it to the Lord Ridge Cemetery where he was finally laid to rest. Jacqueline Woods for News Five.

Celestino Zetina is murder number fifty-three for 2005.