Benque, Melchor cops investigate brutal murder
It was a horrible crime that spanned two neighbouring countries and has the respective police forces working overtime. Today I travelled across the border to find out why anyone would want to torture and murder a Belizean businesswoman trying to make a living in Melchor de Mencos.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
Fifty-five year old Carlota Yacab, a Belizean national, resided in neighbouring Melchor De Mencos, Guatemala for the past three years. Yacab, who worked as a bar manager, lived with friends in a community known as Barrio De Las Flores. Preliminary Investigations reveal that Yacab was last seen socializing at this nightclub late Saturday night and never returned home.
On Sunday, her roommates reported her missing to the Guatemalan police who later found her body not far away from where she lived. The corpse was lying face up in this clearing situated one hundred yards off a picado road inside Belizean territory and just across from a road that acts as a border line between the two countries. At the scene, Belizean and Guatemalan police found evidence that revealed Yacab was tortured before being killed. This is one of two sticks authorities discovered jammed down the decease’s throat. She also had several cuts to the face.
Although post-mortem results could not determine whether or not Yacab was raped, because she was found with no underwear and only a red blouse that was pulled up above her chest, police strongly suspect she was sexually assaulted. According to Assistant Superintendent of Police and the Officer in Charge of the Benque Viejo Police Station, Alvan Gentle, at this time they suspect robbery as the motive for the murder.
A.S.P. Alvan Gentle, O.C Benque Viejo Police Station
“From my understanding, this person used to be in possession of a good amount of money, so to speak, and jewellery and things like that, and when the body was found there was no jewellery on the body itself and we didn?t find any kind of money or so on her.”
It is still not certain exactly what was stolen from Yacab, but at the crime scene police did find a broken gold bracelet and a single gold earring believed to be the victim?s. Gentle says due to circumstances surrounding the case, they strongly believe Yacab was killed somewhere in Guatemala and her body dumped on the Belize side of the border.
A.S.P. Alvan Gentle
“We would want to believe that it was over on the other side of the border. The location where the body was found, again, it was like just a hundred or so yards away from the border line itself, and it could have been that she was killed in Guatemala and then the body dumped back over on this side.”
The Yacab family, who resides in Benque Viejo Del Carmen, is deeply troubled over the way their relative died. According to the deceased?s eldest daughter, Anita Mendez, the last time she saw her mother was on Mother’s Day weekend.
Anita Mendez, Daughter
“She was a very caring person, she didn?t live here, but still she came like once a week on weekends. She came to visit us and to see my grandparents because she still has her parents alive, but she used to work over there, so we didn?t see her so often.”
Mendez says the family is not sure if robbery is the reason why her mother was killed, but all they want is justice.
Anita Mendez
“We believe all sorts of things because she used to go out and she used to have so many friends and we don?t really know what was the?we didn?t know until yesterday we came to know that she had disappeared because she was staying with some friends that she has over in Melchor… When the friends saw that she didn?t reach home she started to look for her Sunday whole day, calling her cell and they said nobody answered.”
“We leave it in the hands of God because we can do nothing. It?s something that only God can make justice. We can?t do anything.”
Gentle says he remains optimistic that the strong working relationship between Belizean and Guatemalan law enforcement authorities will help solve the gruesome murder.
A.S.P. Alvan Gentle
“I have just recently taken over command of the Benque Viejo police, and I found a very cordial and friendly working relationship with the Guatemalan police and the Belize police here in Benque, and as a matter of fact, we were so informed by the authority from there over this particular body. So the investigation is continuing. I don?t want to pre-empt anything, but like I said, they are assisting us. We are trying our best and they are doing their share over that side.”
According to police pathologist Dr. Mario Estradabran, Yacab died due to severe neck and head trauma. He believes that she was killed sometime between late Saturday night and early Sunday morning. Yacab, who was laid to rest this evening, is survived by four daughters.
