Was an Angry Mob Responsible for the Killing of Rene Godoy?

Rene Godoy

Police say they are still investigating the death of Rene Godoy in Silk Grass Village. So far no one has been detained for the beating that ended Godoy’s life. Godoy, as we told you on Thursday, went on a crazy chopping spree around the village and injured three persons. He also chopped up at least three electrical connections for residences in the village before he was subdued and handed over to the police. But his family says something is not adding up about how Godoy died. Andrea Polanco shares more from our interview with Godoy’s family in Silk Grass.

Andrea Polanco, Reporting

How did thirty-two-year-old Rene Godoy die? His family is looking for answers. They say they have received multiple reports that police and an angry mob in Silk Grass may have beaten him to death. Godoy, according to his family, battled alcohol abuse – and after days of drinking, at times he would go on rampage. And that is what he was accused of when police detained him after one-thirty on Thursday morning. Moises Godoy said he received a phone call and was told that police had beaten his brother to a pulp. He says that he stopped here at the police station in the village and there he found his brother battered and bleeding – and his hands and feet were tied.

Moises Godoy

Moises Godoy, Brother of the Deceased

“I ansa one call and my friend tell me ‘hurry, the police beat up your bredda bad, bad. They nearly killa ah. Hurry!’ So, then I start mi truck and run by the place.  When I reach by the police station, I parked my truck by the road and then I gone inna the police station. So, I see my bredda nuh handcuffed. He got strings an crocus bag tied up his hands and feet. SO, when I gone ask questions to the three police, one lady and two man, Sanchez, I gone ask a question. Why they have my bredda like that? His face was blue and everything bloody and bust up. So, my bredda open one eye and he say, ‘my bredda, I di dead.’  I tell Sanchez why you do this, why unu police knock my bredda like that? I told him that is my brother; you know that is my brother. He said, “Moises, me done tiad. Me nuh wah hear nothing from you.”

According to Moises Godoy, before police detained his brother, he was here at this residence when he was also attacked by a group of angry villagers. Rene Godoy used a machete to cut these electrical wires – and that angered a group of men who were hanging out in the area. But the family believes police and as many as four men need to say what happened that ended Godoy’s life.

Moises Godoy

“He gone cut the wire with a machete, but after that colored bwai and Spanish people started to throw rocks and rocks on top.”

Andrea Polanco

“Who stoned? Villagers?”

Moises Godoy

“A lotta bwai mi deh deh di stone. Villagers. They say that they full up the place but I neva know.”

Andrea Polanco

“Who do you think should be held responsible for the death of your brother-in-law?”

Sherlette Brooks

Sherlette Brooks, Sister-in-law of the Deceased

“Well, I think that the four boys that hurt him and the police officers because they were right there when they give orders to the four villagers.”

Andrea Polanco

“The policemen ordered the villagers to beat up your brother-in-law?”

Sherlette Brooks

“Yes. That is what we heard. That is what we all heard.”

So, how did this happen? In the early hours of Thursday morning Godoy armed himself with a machete where he attacked three persons along this street in the village and destroyed several properties. His first victim was a Rudy Monterroso who lost a piece of his left ear and suffered chopped wounds to the neck. Shortly after, he attacked his friend Sonia Olivas who was asleep inside her house when he broke in. Following that, he faced off with Olivas’ father – whose finger was cut off in the machete attack. Fortunately for Olivas, she escaped with only injuries to the chest and arms. She says she doesn’t know what triggered the violent episode.

Sonia Olivas

Sonia Olivas, Chopping Victim

“He dah mi wah nice guy to me. I always used to treat he like he dah my bredda. I used to tell him, ‘bwai, stop drink. Stop drink. You are young, go dah church’ and he used to tell me that he wah change. But I nuh know weh happen to him and I nuh understand what happened to him; what really happened to him. It is like he got crazy. I nuh know why.   Nobody, nobody hurt him. Like because nobody mi cyaa get close to him because he got the machete. The people just the run suh and run suh – I deh lock up inna the house and I nuh even see when he chop my pa. I nuh see it.”

Godoy reportedly left this area unharmed following his attack on three persons. It is believed that afterwards he stopped at this house. The occupants of this house say that when they saw him, he was bleeding and injured – and all they did was restrain him so that Police could have taken him away. They deny that a vigilante group attacked Godoy.

Andrea Polanco

“Do you know if any villagers came out – were any villagers restraining him – holding him down?”

Voice of: Resident, Silk Grass Village

“Only me and my cousin hold him down because the police said mek we hold ah down.”

Andrea Polanco

“And you guys didn’t hit him or anything like that?”

 Voice of: Resident

“No, ma’am.”

Andrea Polanco

“And it didn’t appear as if anybody else in this area attacked him while he was here?”

Voice of: Resident

“No, ma’am.”

So who killed Rene Godoy? The villagers say they had no part in it – but Godoy’s family claims that police and at least four men may be responsible.  Well, police say that they have since launched an intensive criminal and internal investigation into the matter. Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.