18 years old, 8 months pregnant, dead
It is one of Belize’s most industrious and prosperous communities. Situated on a series of hills in the Orange Walk District, tucked against the Mexican border, the village of Blue Creek first caught our attention almost twenty years ago when it built the nation’s first hydro-electric plant. That feat was followed by major investments in grains, cattle and construction. In recent years the area has become a popular landing spot for drug smugglers flying cargo from Colombia destined for transhipment north. But tonight Blue Creek is in the news for what appears to be a grizzly murder. Like the death of Laci Peterson in California, the victim was a young woman only a month from motherhood…and also like the Peterson case, the prime suspect is her husband.
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
This afternoon, the badly decomposing body of eighteen year old Mary Enns was discovered on the riverbank of the Rio Verde in the Orange Walk district. She was eight months pregnant.
Blue Creek community leader David Dyck was among those who responded to a report by a Mexican fisherman of seeing a body in the river.
David Dyck, Found Woman?s Body
?We saw the body in the river, approximately four miles down stream, and the legs are gone, the arms are gone, the meat in the face–the fish eat it all off.?
Janelle Chanona
?How did you know it was her then??
David Dyck
?You could see it was a lady, the brassiere was still on.?
Janelle Chanona
?Any sign of the baby??
David Dyck
?No, we couldn?t see it. We see the big belly, that?s all.?
Janelle Chanona
?Did it look like she?s been there long??
David Dyck
?Yeah; I don?t know how it takes to do that. But we know from the time she disappeared, so it?s approximately a week ago.?
Janelle Chanona
?She might have been in the water a long time??
David Dyck
?Yup. Yup.?
Reported as missing since last Thursday, her family and friends had searched the area around her home in the Blue Creek community for any sign of the young woman. Just one hour before the gruesome discovery was made, her father appealed to viewers for some sign that his daughter was still alive.
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
“If anyone watching right now knows where your daughter is…or your daughter herself is watching, what would you say??
David Penner, Father of Murder Victim
?I would say…speaks German…Mary come home or let us know where you are.?
But by then the young mother to be was already dead. The last person to see Mary Enns alive was her husband, twenty-two year old Jacob Enns. He has been in police custody since reporting Mary missing. According to his Penner, his son-in-law told him that he last saw his wife alive and well on Thursday morning, leaving him with the slim hope that his daughter, although missing was somehow safe.
David Penner
?When he came home from work at noon, she wasn?t there and the dishes were not done yet from breakfast. So he went to the restaurant to have his dinner and after dinner, he went to work. At supper time at six o?clock when he came home, his wife still not there. But before he reached home, he?s stop at her sister?s and brother?s place where they stay. Her sister had told Jacob to go and get Maria and bring her for her supper. And he said, if she?ll be home by now. He left and he went home to find her not there and according to him, he became worried because it?s unusual for her not being there yet. But he had a shower–to his story, his eyes were burning and he had lain down to rest his eyes–but kind of uneasy. ?
When the young woman was still not home the next day, Enns reported her missing to the authorities.
But according to Blue Creek residents, the young couple, who had only moved from Shipyard three months ago, appeared to be having problems in their relationship.
Janelle Chanona
?Did she have problems in her marriage??
David Penner
?We haven?t noticed anything, but rumours in this community have been driving that way yes. But we haven?t noticed anything. When they came over, they were happy.?
Janelle Chanona
?Was she excited about the baby? Do you think she got scared??
David Penner
?We haven?t noticed that. To my feelings she was pretty calm.?
Janelle Chanona
?She is eighteen years old. She just got married. She?s just moved to a new area and she?s about to have a baby. Why do you think your daughter, if she did leave on her own, why would she just leave everything??
David Penner
?That?s what puzzle me to the extreme. I would not know. I couldn?t imagine why she would be leaving and we haven?t sensed any kind of relationship with her from other people. We haven?t noticed anything that could link to running away.?
Who would want to kill an obviously very pregnant Mary Enns? Resident speaks of suspicious activity by strangers to the area, but the many unanswered questions surrounding this murder mystery has traumatized this close kit community.
Janelle Chanona
?You?ve lived in this community so long, how does it feel to find one of your own like this??
David Dyck
?It?s terrible.?
Janelle Chanona
?Who would want to hurt someone like this??
David Dyck
?I don?t know. I have no idea. No.?
