Doyle Garbutt Shot To Death in Van On Southside; Police Baffled As to Why

Doyle Garbutt

A north side resident is the latest murder victim. It is not quite known why thirty year old Doyle Garbutt was in a dangerous spot of the south side last night, but he was taken gun in a most brutal way. Garbutt was executed as he drove his van through the Saint Martin De Porres area. But is his murder linked to a report of a man missing at sea? Police are trying to unravel this latest homicide in the Old Capital. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.

Duane Moody, Reporting

There was a cold-blooded murder on the south side of Belize City on Wednesday night in St. Martin De Porres. Around ten p.m., thirty-year old Doyle Garbutt was driving a white passenger van on Balan Street behind the Complex area when he was shot once to the temple by a gunman at close range. A mortally wounded Garbutt lost control of the vehicle and careened off the dirt road into a nearby ditch. Police were called to the scene shortly after to find his body slumped over on the passenger side.

Alden Dawson

Sr. Supt. Alden Dawson, Deputy Regional Commander, Eastern Division South

“Sometime around ten p.m., police were called to a shooting at the corner of Balan and Gyle Streets. Upon arrival at that location, they saw a white van partially in the drain at the corner of the said street. Checks inside the van led to the discovery of a motionless body of Doyle Garbutt, twenty-nine year old Belizean of a Dolphin Drive address with what appeared to be a single gunshot to the right temple. The body was taken from the vehicle and transported to the K.H.M.H. morgue where an investigation has since commenced.”

Garbutt lives on Dolphin Drive in the Buttonwood Bay area on north side Belize City and investigators are trying to ascertain what he was doing in the area that he rarely frequented. Information is that Garbutt was traveling with a passenger who pulled out a nine millimeter pistol and fired the deadly shot.

Reporter

“You are not able to say if he was alone, or had company in the vehicle and they fled maybe.”

Sr. Supt. Alden Dawson

“Not at this time. We cannot say at this time. The investigation is still ongoing. It is relatively young and I don’t have any other information as yet.”

Reporter

“But would you be able to say if he is someone that frequents that area?”

Sr. Supt. Alden Dawson

“No I don’t know that either.”

Reporter

“Have you guys spoken with the family to understand what he did last? What were his last activities?”

Sr. Supt. Alden Dawson

“That is ongoing as we speak. The investigators are at his family home.”

But what could have led to his murder? Police say that Garbutt is not known to be affiliated with any gang.

Sr. Supt. Alden Dawson

“We have nothing to say that he is affiliated with any gang at this time, and as I said, we are investigating this matter. But he is not a regular person with us.”

Reporter

“Any suspected motive as yet?”

Sr. Supt. Alden Dawson

“No motive at this time. We have found one expended shell at the scene and no motive at this time.”

Reporter

“Sir so it is believed that there was just one gun involved and not shooting between two individuals per say.”

Sr. Supt. Alden Dawson

“The scene does not have anything to indicate or reveal there was any shooting between two persons; one shot to the temple and one expended shell found.”

Reporter

“That expended shell, what gun does it match?”

Deron Lizama

Sr. Supt. Alden Dawson

“The shell is a nine millimeter pistol shell.”

But is the murder of Garbutt linked to the case of a missing person’s report. Approximately two weeks ago, one Deron Lizama went missing at sea, as Lizama was reportedly an employee of one of Garbutt’s relatives.

Sr. Supt. Alden Dawson

“I heard about the missing persons report, but I have no information to say that it is linked.”

Reporter

“The family is saying that they got a call that they found the body of a fisherman near Spanish Caye. Could you confirm that? The family right now is trying to find answers; they have no idea where their loved one is.”

Sr. Supt. Alden Dawson

No I have no idea of that body that they found.”

Duane Moody for News Five.