Crooked Tree Villager Found Dead in Police Cell

Lindberg Anthony

Fifty-six-year-old Lindberg Anthony took his own life on Saturday night by reportedly hanging himself while in detention inside a holding cell in Crooked Tree Village. But his family is crying foul.  Police say that the officer in charge of the substation picked up the intoxicated mechanic after a report was made against him by other villagers who allege that he was behaving unruly.  Sometime after ten o’clock, Anthony reportedly tied a piece of cloth around his neck and fastened it to the window and hung himself while in custody.  This account is refuted by the family of the well-known villager.  Police, however, maintain that Anthony committed suicide.

Alejandro Cowo

ASP Alejandro Cowo, O.C., C.I.B., Belize City

“The other incident happened about 10:30 in the night, Ladyville police were called to the Crooked Tree police substation where upon arrival they observed the motionless body of a male person hanging from the windows of the substation cellblock which is located inside of the same police station.  The male person was learned to be one Mr. Lindberg Anthony, he’s a fifty-six-year-old mechanic of Crooked Tree Village.  He was observed to be tied to the rickets of the window using part of his clothing that he had allegedly torn apart and that is what he used to hang himself.  What police [have] gathered so far is that Mr. Lindberg was out in the village socializing and apparently was disturbing other people that were in the area and as a result one of them called and complained about his behavior.  As a result, police detained him and took him to the station.  That incident complaint came at about seven p.m., in the night.”

Reporter

“So the family of Mr. Anthony has come forth to express discontent, displeasure at the police suggesting it was an apparent suicide because of the way he was found.  His feet were touching the floor which means he couldn’t have, they don’t believe it was a suicide and they are asking who else was in the cell with him.”

ASP Alejandro Cowo

“He was the only person inside of the cell at the time.  There was nobody else.”

Reporter

“And how many police officers were inside the station?”

ASP Alejandro Cowo

“There is one police officer that works at Crooked Tree police station.”

The Anthony family says that a postmortem has not been conducted so it is premature for police to rule it as suicide.