San Felipe Woman Found Dead Inside Pit Latrine in Pomona

Marta Gonzalez

An elderly vendor from the village of San Felipe, Orange Walk, has been found murdered in the Stann Creek District. She had been missing since last Friday; today the body of Marta Gonzalez was discovered inside a pit latrine and wrapped in a tarp. Gonzalez travelled every two weeks to southern Belize to sell food. This weekend was the last time she would be in the area. News Five’s Hipolito Novelo was at the scene of the crime and files the following report.

Hipolito Novelo, Reporting

The body of sixty eight year old Marta Gonzalez was found here, dumped inside a pit latrine on mile ten of the Stann Creek Valley Road in Pomona Village. The gruesome discovery was made some time before midday today inside this yard, in this hole and wrapped with a tarp.

The San Felipe Village resident was last seen by her family on Friday November twenty third as she left her home en route to Dangriga to sell cheese, tamales and clothes. The missing person report was made on Sunday by her thirty seven year old son Romario Ixpec who up to the time of making the report had no idea where his mother was. Gonzalez arrived in Pomona Village at around ten o’clock. She made her way to the house of a long time friend where she would stay whenever she would make the trip, which is every two weeks. According to Silva Ramirez, Gonzalez had been selling her merchandise in Pomona and surrounding villages for years.

Voice of: Silva Ramirez, Friend of Deceased

“She came to bring the tamales and then we sat down and ate the tamales. She told me she is leaving to sell the cheese and tamales. I said okay and that I would help her over there. I helped the lady right over there. From there she went to that lady’s house. Then she did not come back home. So I said, well this lady did not come home for her to sleep. I said but why she did not come home.  I told my daughters to call her phone. It rang but she did not answer. I told my children that the next morning I would call this lady again. We called the phone but the lady did not answer. The lady did not answer. Then from there, this morning I went to this lady house and asked her if she heard about Miss Marta. She tell me no. I told her they kidnapped the lady. I told her if she didn’t have her number and she said no, it is Ms Tina…where her body was found.”

Gonzalez also stopped at another friend’s residence where she left a bucket and two rolls of cheese. Gonzalez was still alive at three o’clock on Friday afternoon.

Voice of: Friend

“Like at around three o’clock she reach her and left some cheese right her and she told me that she would leave and collect some money. She left some tamales because she was selling. Afterwards she said that she would then return for her cheese and from that time she did not return back. Yes, it was Friday because from that we have did not see her again.”

The question as to who would want her dead or why has her friends in the village mind boggled as she was a woman who kept to herself and had no issues with anyone in the village.

Voice of: Friend

“She was happy. I did not see her that something change.. I did not see her like that.”

Hipolito Novelo

“How long has she been coming around?”

Voice of: Friend

“I am not sure. I just see her every time in these areas, selling her tamales and cheese.”

Hipolito Novelo

“Do you know anyone who would want to hurt her?”

Voice of: Friend

“No. She was a nice lady. She didn’t like problems like that. She was a nice person.”

Hipolito Novelo

“Why would you think that anyone would want her dead or hurt her?”

Voice of: Silva Rmirez

“I don’t know.”

Hipolito Novelo

“Do you believe that whoever did it must have thought that she had a lot of money on her?”

Voice of: Silva Rmirez

“I don’t know because when she comes here I don’t notice her money because some people are funny. I don’t know if she had a lot of money.”

Hipolito Novelo

“So she would stay here overnight, a couple of days?”

Voice of: Silva Rmirez

“She stayed with me overnight because she came Friday and I told her to stop walk the road alone because people are dangerous, there are people that might want to do you things. She still yet came late, but Friday here I worried about her. She didn’t come home.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Hipolito Novelo.