2 Belize City Men Arraigned for Mid-week Mayhem
Devin Parham
There were three murders on Wednesday in the Old Capital and police from Eastern Divisions North and South have since charged two Belize City men for the mid-week murders of Tevin Palmer and Devin Parham. This afternoon, Lionel Kelly and Valentine Baptist, who are reportedly from rival gangs in the city, were arraigned for separate murders in the Magistrate’s Court. News Five’s Duane Moody recaps the incidents, their detention and subsequent charges for the heinous crimes.
Duane Moody, Reporting
It was a bloody Wednesday evening in Belize City, as three persons were murdered within a few hours in the Old Capital; two of them were within minutes of each other. Just after three p.m., Tevin Palmer was gunned down inside a house on Castle Street; as he sat on a sofa inside the home, the twenty-year-old was shot five times to the head by someone with whom he was socializing. By four o’clock, police were called out to Cemetery Road. On the pavement in front of Habet and Habet laid the bullet riddled body of nineteen-year-old Devin Parham; who was slaughtered in retaliation for the murder of Palmer.
Tevin Palmer
ACP Chester Williams, Regional Commander, Eastern Division South [File: July 6th, 2016]
“We do believe that the shooting of Parham was a retaliation as a result of the shooting that took place on Castle Street just minutes earlier. And the suspect that we have in custody is from Castle Street. You know north side always say that people from south side go on north side and create crime; well, north side man come pan south side and create crime too because the suspect is from north side, but he is associated with George Street Gang.”
And today, police from Eastern Division north and south charged two persons for the coldblooded murders of Palmer and Parham. The first to be arraigned was twenty-seven-year-old Valentine Baptist, a construction worker of Castle Street. Baptist appeared before Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer around midday for charges of murder and a firearm offense. Police say he was caught red-handed with a nine millimeter pistol in hand shortly after the shooting.
Valentine Baptist
ACP Chester Williams [File: July 7th, 2016]
“As it relates to the suspect for the shooting of Devin Parham, we just completed the identification parade and the suspect has been identified and the police is currently laying charges against Valentine Baptist. He’s being charged for murder, attempted murder and aggravated assault. We are seriously short of human resources and we have to be playing checkers. So with what took place yesterday, I had to withdraw some resources from the Martin’s area because we have now Banak, George Street, South Side and Kraal Road feuding.”
And by mid-afternoon, the suspect for the murder of Tevin Palmer was brought before Magistrate Carlon Mendoza. Eighteen-year-old Lionel Kelly from Mayflower Street was arraigned for one count of murder. Kelly was reportedly inside the house on Castle Street along with Palmer when he pulled out a gun and fired several shots.
Lionel Kelly
Supt. Hilberto Romero, O.C., CIB, Eastern Division [File: July 7th, 2016]
“Investigation revealed that he was there along with family members and other persons and at some point someone pulled out a firearm and he was shot to the head. He was there with persons that he knew. They were all at the house and at some point one of the persons pulled out a firearm and shot at the deceased; that’s the information that we have at this time.”
Duane Moody
“One of the persons inside the house at the time?”
Supt. Hilberto Romero
“That is correct; they were all there associating with each other.”
Chester Williams
It is believed that both murders are gang-related and were triggered by the murder of Giovanni Gentle last Saturday.
ACP Chester Williams [File: July 6th, 2016]
“You see after we had the shooting on Friday night whereby Mister Gentle was shot on Regent Street West, we had no intervention. And we believe that the shooting today on Castle Street was a retaliation of the shooting of Gentle. So you can see now the importance of the interventions.”
Supt. Hilberto Romero [File: July 7th, 2016]
“We are following several leads, doing several interviews and yes the information is that the shooting may be gang related.”
Hilberto Romero
Reporter
“ACP Williams had previously mentioned a direct link between the murder of Giovanni Gentle. Is that the same information that you guys have?”
Supt. Hilberto Romero
“Like I mentioned earlier, yes we are following every lead that we have and that is the information that we are trying to verify at this time.”
In both cases, no pleas were taken from Baptist and Kelly and they were remanded to prison. Duane Moody for News Five.
In the case of the third murder that took place on Wednesday night, police believe they have the suspects who took the life of Michael Lopez Junior. Police say they have the motorcycle and blood-stained clothing worn by his killers in their possession as well as statements from witnesses. Charges however are yet to be levied on the detainees for that murder.
I think police is giving too much information to the media. Criminals and gangs like this, they are on the news. The media should learn to ask questions that do not compromise the investigation. This is why criminals get away easily and lawyers, if you know these criminal are guilty why defend them. You too are also becoming a problem to society . In other countries of central America they shot these lawyers.