Forensic Evidence Key to Solving Aaron Gabourel Arson/Murder

Chester Williams

While the occupants of that home escaped injury, another fire—a confirmed case of arson—took the life of eleven year old Aaron Gabourel in south side Belize City. Last week, you heard the tearful plea of Caroline Hamilton asking anyone with information to come forward and help solve the arson that took her young son’s life. Today, when we met up with ACP Chester Williams we asked him why no one has been arrested. He said that they are awaiting results from a lab to get a more conclusive report about the fire:

ACP Chester Williams, Regional Commander, Eastern Division South

“Currently, the information is that we have been receiving has been conflicting. We had detained two individuals in respect of that matter. We subsequently had to release them because of lack of evidence to be able to charge. What we are doing, we are currently awaiting the report from the fire expert, those persons within the fire department who conduct fire investigation to ascertain the cause of fire. We know initially they had said to us and there was an interview given to us by one of them that there was no sign of any flammable chemical used. But since then we have came across certain things which we believe do have flammable chemicals on it. We have sent those to the lab and we are awaiting a report from the lab to tell us what type of chemical or fire accelerant is on those piece of clothing that we had submitted. I know that the fire department has been involved as well to help us to be able to ascertain the true cause of the fire because we want when we put something before the court; we have the evidence to back it up. So, whenever the investigation is completed or we think we have sufficient evidence to back it up, we will send the file to the Director of Public Prosecutions and we will ask her guidance in respect to that matter.”