Shocking Murder-Suicide at AAA Security

Robert Godfrey & Delsie Smith

Two people were killed in a shooting that police had described as murder-suicide on Friday night. The shocking incident occurred inside the offices of AAA Security on the Philip Goldson Highway. The well-known business owner, Robert Godfrey, killed his long time employee and manager, Delsie Smith, before turning the gun on himself.  According to Smith’s daughter, there is at least one witness to the tragic events of Friday night, but as to the motive, that remains under investigation. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

Breaking news that a pair of lifeless bodies had been found inside an office at AAA Security Services spread like wildfire on Friday night.  What was initially reported was that the proprietor of the business, sixty-six-year-old Robert Godfrey, had taken his own life after fatally shooting a woman inside the building.  That individual was later identified as fifty-year-old Delsie Smith, a longtime employee and manager at the security firm.  Her daughter, Tricia Hislop, recounts getting a call informing her of the tragedy.

Tricia Hislop

Tricia Hislop, Daughter of Deceased

“I got a call from one of my cousins asking me for my mom’s number and then I gave it to him, but I told him that I don’t remember off the bat because she changed number and she has two.  So I told him, I will text you and he was like, okay.  But he wasn’t sure so he didn’t want to say anything to me.  So I text him and then I turned off my phone because my phone was like at eight percent.  So when I turned off my phone I went to take a bath and I was getting ready, dancing in front of the mirror and everything.  And I turned on the phone an hour after and then I got so many notifications, Facebook messenger, the phone keeps [ringing] and then I got a call from a friend and then he told me, ih seh, gyal weh happen, ih seh, ah hyah yo ma boss kill ih wife and ih kill ihself.  So I dah like, neva!”

What Hislop thought to be false information turned out to be partially accurate, save for the fact that Godfrey did not kill his wife; instead, he had killed her mother.

Joseph Myvett

ACP Joseph Myvett, Head National Crimes Investigation Branch

“Police responded to a call at the AAA offices on the Phillip Goldson Highway where upon arrival police observed the bodies of two persons who were later identified to be Delsie Olivia Smith, fifty years, and Robert Godfrey, sixty-six years, both with gunshot injuries.  Ms. Smith had an apparent gunshot injury to the right temple whilst Mr. Godfrey had an apparent gunshot injury to the left side of his head.  One .38 revolver was found on the floor.  Police processed the scene where the bodies were later removed and transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where they were pronounced dead on arrival.”

By that time Hislop had decided to call her mother’s work number.  After several attempts another employee answered.

Tricia Hislop

“A supervisor answered me and I asked him what happened and he was like, “they went”.  So I dah like, “Went where?” and then he started to, like he froze over the phone.  He went silent and then he said, “boss kill yoh ma and kill ihself.”  So dah like I neva know weh fi think.  I tell he I noh play like that, please noh play like that.  And he was like, “Ms. Tricia, ah noh di play. Dehn gone, dehn dead.”

Belize City police are investigating the incident.

ACP Joseph Myvett

“It is a death investigation and it remains open while the police do their investigation.  Certainly, a part of the investigation will be determined by the outcome of the post mortem, whilst other forensic parts of the investigation will determine how far we will go with this investigation.”

Reporter

“Do your investigators have any idea as to who the gun wielder is who inflicted these injuries on the two individual?”

ACP Joseph Myvett

“I think at this point, based on the stage of the investigation I do not want to answer that.”

Reporter

“Can you confirm if the weapon, the thirty-eight special belongs to Mr. Godfrey?  Have you all been able to ascertain that?”

Joseph Myvett

“I believe that may be in the process of being ascertained.”

According to Smith’s grief-stricken daughter, the incident was witnessed by an employee of the company.

Tricia Hislop

“She said that they were sitting at the desk doing payroll as per normal, every two weeks and my mom was on the left and he was on the right and she was writing schedules and whatever and when she was done she told him I am finished.  But before that she said that the woman came twenty minutes before and she said something in Spanish to him and then he just came back to the seat and he was laughing and still joking with my mom and she said, I’m through, and she gave him a paper with the schedule of the officers that will be working that said weekend.  And as he got the paper it all happened.”

Hislop says she won’t speak ill of Godfrey because she has always known him to be a good person. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.