No leads yet in death of 84-year-old

While the death in Cayo may still lack some evidence, at least all those involved are present and accounted for. Not so in the case of the eighty-four year old businessman found bound, gagged, and dead yesterday in Belize City. News 5’s Jacqueline Woods has an update.

Jacqueline Woods, Reporting

It is hard to imagine the sheer terror eighty-four year old Eustace Vernon must have felt after his hands and feet were tied and a cloth stuffed in his mouth. But his case is not unique; four other mostly elderly businessmen have been viciously murdered in the last year.

Sgt. Oscar Puga, Deputy Commander, C.I.B.

“In cases like these which we have investigated in the past, most likely it’s possible that more than one person, yes, is involved.”

While the police do not have any suspects, they have been receiving information that suggests Vernon may have been killed about twenty-four hours before his body was discovered around midday on Wednesday. Authorities also know that on Tuesday morning a number of young men were at the location helping Vernon move gravel into his backyard and are probably the last persons to have seen him alive.

One of those workers, who did not wish to be identified, told News 5 that he last saw Vernon around one that afternoon. As is customary, Vernon was supposed to have closed the shop, go out and then return in time to reopen his business later that evening, but he never did.

Voice of worker

“Because the evening, Tuesday, he usually open four o’clock and that is something he always do, and he never did open. He never even gone to town, the way I see how the body and thing because he never even change his clothes, because usually after he come from town he would usually change his clothes when he open up back. But he never open the evening because I did wait five, six, seven and when I no see nothing gone on, I roll out.”

Authorities are also trying to establish if the young woman who worked at the adjacent Claws Club that is owned by Vernon, may have seen or heard something. Area residents say on Tuesday night they observed a truck parked for a long time in front of the drinking establishment and that the club closed unusually early, around eight that night, and never reopened. According to the Deputy Commander of the Criminal Investigation Branch, Sgt. Oscar Puga, they are carefully looking into all reports.

Sgt. Oscar Puga

“We have gotten several information, different types of information, so what we are doing is moving very carefully on those information. Any information from the public is appreciated very highly, but we need to move very carefully in order to substantiate what are actually facts and what is hearsay.”

Puga says they are encouraged by the public support. He believes robbery was the motive, but they have yet to determined what was stolen.

Sgt. Oscar Puga

“We have found his bedroom was ransacked and one of his pockets were turned out, so we believe robbery was the motive, but we cannot confirm exactly the amount of money, if any, that was stolen.”

“The investigation, again, has revealed that a door, one of the side doors, was left unlocked. Not open, but unlocked. But we still need to confirm whether that was the location of the entry.”

Reporting for News 5, Jacqueline Woods.