Who Wanted Visiting Tourist Kimberley Stephens Dead?

Kimberley Stephens

Fifty-five-year-old Kimberley Lin Stephens was strangled to death. The American national’s decomposing body was discovered outside of her rental SUV on December twenty-third. We understand that Stephens arrived in country on December sixteenth and received a vehicle from the rental company in Placencia – they say this is not the first time she has rented from them – but that was the last time they saw her until she was found dead. According to her neighbors and close friends, expats who live in Maya Beach, Stephens would spend two weeks at a time in Belize. But this time, they didn’t even know she was in country – they only found out when they heard she was found dead. They told us that she was selling her home – a deal that apparently had already closed – and she was back in Belize reportedly to finalize that sale.  Today, police told us what they know about her death.

ACP Joseph Myvett, Head, National Crimes Investigation Branch

“On Saturday the twenty-third December, sometime after midday, Placencia police on mobile patrol observed a vehicle in a remote area between Placencia and Seine Bight Village. Upon making checks, the body of a female was found in a decomposed state immediately behind the vehicle on the ground. The body was later identified as that of Kimberley Stephens, fifty-five-year-old American. Initial investigation reveal that Miss Stephens arrived in Placencia sometime on the sixteenth of December where she rented a vehicle. And so far, that has been the last time that she was seen alive. On site postmortem conducted revealed that she died from strangulation by ligature which also require further investigation into the findings.”