Another killing keeps cops busy

But no sooner had police cracked one major case than another appeared to take its place–that’s right, the fourth murder in less than a week.

Janelle Chanona, Reporting
Around seven forty-five this morning, Belize City police had the gruesome task of collecting the body of thirty-nine year old Roderick Todd from an area near mile two and a half on the Western Highway.

Tonight it is believed that in the early morning hours of today, the taxi-man was shot once in the back of his head in another location and then brought here and dumped on the side of the road. Up to news time, no one had been arrested for the crime, but we understand that a female associate of the victim has been detained for questioning.

Todd had worked at the Cinderella Plaza taxi stand at the intersection of Freetown Road and Douglas Jones Street. According to police, Todd was last seen around nine-thirty on Tuesday night, but today fellow drivers told News Five Todd was last seen at the stand around one this morning, but cannot say where he was headed.

Gerald DeShield, Taxi Driver
?Well I know that he dah wah deportee from the States and he come out yah and he work with we. We noh find no problem with ah. We noh know he as no bad acta (person, and that dah bout it.?

Janelle Chanona
?Did he have any problems with anybody that you saw??

Gerald DeShield
?I know they seh he always gat problems with he girlfriend and so right, they always di quarrel and so. So I figure maybe dah some bwai weh he had a misunderstanding with probably involved inna it. They have to investigate there.?

Janelle Chanona
?As far as you know when was he last seen here working??

Gerald DeShield
?Last night, one o?clock. One of the taxi driver seh he left yah last night one o?clock from the taxi stand, without nobody. So probably he get wah phone call or something.?

Prior to his death, Todd lived here, at his family?s home at number forty-two Castle Street with his brother. News Five understands that he had returned to Belize approximately four years ago and had been driving a cab for about two years. The taxi, a grey Chevy Caprice, has not been found by the authorities and some of Todd?s personal items, namely his wallet, are also missing.

This afternoon, investigating officers say robbery is the suspected motive.

Sr. Supt., Chester Williams, Belize City C.I.B.
?We are looking at the investigation as a possible robbery motive. His vehicle, which is a grey taxi, was also stolen. The license plate D-3369. We will use whatever resources we can to try to solve this one as we have done with the others.?

But as police try to track down Todd?s killer or killers, his co-workers express fear.

Gerald DeShield
?We scared from day one. Day and night we scared because we no know who we di pick up at times and if we have something fu defend we self and they rush we and we defend we self, the police hassle we. So if we even have something fu defend we self, we noh have no right because if we try defend we self the police hassle we.?