In Roaring Creek, Errol Gabourel Found Dead and Floating in Belize River
Errol Gabourel
The Christmas weekend also had a pair of murders to report, though neither was in Belize City. The village of Roaring Creek was shocked by a discovery of a body in the Belize River this morning, later identified as Errol Gabourel Smith. Twenty-six year old Gabourel, also known as “Rabbit,” was recently out of prison. As many ex-cons do, he tried to turn over a new leaf, only to discover that he could not outrun his past. His grandmother explained the details after the body’s discovery.
Joyce Armstrong
Joyce Armstrong, Grandmother of Deceased
“I was at home, just get up di eat breakfast, when my next grandson call and ask me, ‘Weh Errol?’ So I tell him Errol sleeping; ih say yuh sure? And I said yes, mek a go check. And when I gahn knock pan ih room door, ih noh deh een deh, and the bed fix like nobody sleep deh. But when I get home the night I find ih bike and ih slippers and ih cap so I mi think ih deh eena di room but when I gahn een deh ih noh deh een deh and ih seh, ‘Well somebody just call me and tell me dehn kill Errol.”
Reporter
“Tell us a little bit about Errol himself; we understand that he recently came out of prison and was trying his very best to turn his life around.”
Joyce Armstrong
“Yeah, he was doing good; because he listens, he stays home and helps me, he doesn’t go anywhere, so I was surprised when they told me someone killed him because I thought he was in his room sleeping. Dah noh wah ‘drink’ person; and ih noh deh bout and thing because he was trying to hold up his parole. From ih come out – ih come out must be nearly eight months now and ih mi di do good; ih noh go no way and thing.”
Reporter
“How are you and your family handling or trying to cope with the fact that someone murdered him?”
Joyce Armstrong
“We noh have no choice; we noh know da who, so we just have to go with it until God mek deh find dah who, caz we can’t do nothing.”
Police have announced no further details, including arrests, as of news time.
