Did a Minor Kill Mario Trotman?

Mario Trotman

There were two murders in three days in Belize City. A thirty-four-year-old mother of two teenage boys was killed as she traveled in a taxi with friends on Faber’s Road. Less than forty-eight hours later, the body of an eighteen-year-old resident of Louise Bevans Street was found in a canal leading to the dyke behind the Jane Usher Boulevard area. Several persons are currently in detention for the murders of Tanika Lemoth and Mario Trotman, but the motive behind their untimely deaths is still unknown. While police say that the homicides are isolated, they are working around the clock to gather the necessary evidence to levy charges against the suspected killers. In the case of Trotman, a minor is one of two persons detained for his murder.
ACP Chester Williams, Regional Commander, Eastern Division South

“In relation to the first murder that took place on Sunday morning….we still have those subjects in custody and we are still investigating. But we have always said that the difficulty is having people to give us information, written information. We are hearing a lot, much has been said; we believe we know who did it. And the difficulty though is believing who know who did it is different from having the statement, having the evidence that we can effect an arrest and go to court. So that is the difficulty we are encountering at this moment. Nonetheless, we remain optimistic; even if the forty-eight hours period for these people lapse and we will have to release them. But our investigation will continue and if we get the requisite evidence, by all account they will be picked up and charges will be levied against them. As it relates to the second one, again, we still have two persons in custody. We are doing consultation with the D.P.P. to see what direction she wants the police to go on that matter. It is not an open and close case because of the circumstances involved in the investigation and the minor who is involved. So there are some legal technicalities that we need to look at and we are getting the assistance from the D.P.P. in seeing how we can overcome those hurdles and she will guide us as to moving forward from there.”

Chester Williams

Duane Moody

“Do you guys feel that you so far have gotten evidence to prove that these persons in detention did commit this crime?”

ACP Chester Williams

“We have some degree of evidence, but at this time not what we really want. And in discussing with the D.P.P. earlier, she has given certain directives and those directives she gave, I have the officers out complying with those directives. And as soon as those directives have been fully complied with, we’ll take it back to her and then she will make a decision as to where we go from there.”