G.S.U. Not Immediately Aware of Missing Kelvin Usher

Cameron Usher Sr. & Kelvin Usher

The disappearance of a young Belize City student since Sunday has gripped the nation and galvanized persons from every walk of life.  A massive search and rescue operation to locate seventeen-year-old SJCJC student Kelvin Usher continues in the wilderness of Lucky Strike in northern Belize District. It is day four and counting. The search started by family members on Sunday and it was until Tuesday that the Belize Defense Force personnel were called in to join the ongoing efforts to find the teenager.  Over seventy-two hours have elapsed and despite recovering two items belonging to Usher, there is still no trace of him tonight.  The police department has deployed search teams into the vicinity of Lucky Strike, but there had been a deafening silence from its highest-ranking officers in the wake of the disappearance. As the ordeal played out with the public demanding answers, the police reticence was finally broken this evening when the Ministry of Home Affairs convened a press briefing at the Laing Building in Belize City.  The session was led by Minister Wilfred ‘Sedi’ Elrington, who was accompanied by C.E.O. George Lovell, Acting Commissioner of Police Noel Leal and GSU Commander Andres Makin.  They each took turns updating the media on their respective investigations into the matter, at the end of which there seems to be a myriad of glaring discrepancies in the accounts being given.  We begin our coverage tonight with comments made by Superintendent Andres Makin, who took command of the Gang Suppression Unit on July first.  Responsibility for the actions of that team falls squarely on Makin’s shoulders.

Andres Makin

Supt. Andres Makin, Commander, Gang Suppression Unit

“On Sunday, September twenty-fourth around ten a.m., I got a call from one of the members of my unit giving me certain information in regards to a marijuana plantation in Lucky Strike area of the Belize District.  As a result, I gave the directives for them to have proceeded to the location.  They proceeded and at around three p.m. or thereabout, I got another call from the team leader who had conducted the operation indicating to me that yes, the operation had been conducted and apparently a marijuana plantation had been discovered and one person had been arrested.  They also further briefed me to the effect that during the operation a male individual had also escaped from out the marijuana plantation.  As a result, they processed the scene, they eradicated all the marijuana that were in the immediate area, in the farm, and it amounted to around one hundred and twenty to one hundred and fifty plants.  Having uprooted everything, it was burnt and thereafter the male individual that had been apprehended within the farm was then escorted to Belize City for processing.  I was also informed that during the operation, whilst at the farm, at no time the male individual that had escaped or had run away from the scene was pursued.  It was also indicated to me that upon embarking on the plantation that warning shots were fired, but they were fired in the air.  At no time were they directed at the person that had fled the scene.  As I said earlier, the male individual was brought in and he was processed.  The processing concluded at around five p.m. or thereabout.  I must say that I was, I got a call later that night at around eleven p.m., indicating to me that the person who had fled the scene was apparently a minor.  Well it came as a surprise to me and therefore I informed my commander that had given me that information that first thing daybreak, that I would have gathered another team to have proceeded back to the area in an effort to assist in making search for the said individual since he was a minor.  We proceeded there the following day which was Monday and upon reaching the said plantation or area, the immediate vicinity, we met family members of the said individuals in the area.  We combine efforts and we conducted searches.”