A 9-Year-Old Girl is Strangled to Death in Unitedville, Cayo

Danielle Hall

The unexplained death of a nine-year-old girl was baffling police authorities, but late this evening, it was confirmed that the Danielle Hall was killed by manual strangulation.  The child was found dead by her father inside their home in the village of Unitedville in the Cayo District.  The child’s father was called to the house where neighbours claim they were hearing strange noises coming from the mother, Emily Ico.  A devout Catholic, Ico has been hospitalized as investigations take place. News Five’s Duane Moody was in Unitedville prior to the results of the post mortem examination.

Duane Moody, Reporting

There are more questions than answers following the mysterious death of a nine-year-old girl in Unitedville Cayo. Danielle Hall was looking forward to going into standard four at the Saint Vincent Pallotti R.C. School at the end of the month, but her life was cut short in unexplained circumstances inside her house on August sixteenth. Around eleven o’clock neighbours say they heard Danielle’s mother, Emily Ico, screaming in different languages, breaking items and acting peculiar inside the wooden and zinc house. It went on for some time and that’s when her husband was called to come home.

Adelia Petillo

Adelia Petillo, Neighbour

“I sat on my step and my neighbour, I heard her cursing up and saying lot of things. So I came downstairs and I was standing up and just hearing her say a lot of things. I know her, she goes to church, she don’t drink, she don’t smoke, she don’t faas with anyone, but that morning just left me surprise and wondering what was happening to her.”

Duane Moody

“I heard that she was cursing and stomping…”

Adelia Petillo

“…and clapping her hands and stomping up on her bed and hollering all kinds of stuff, just out of control.”

Duane Moody

“Did you see her daughter Danielle at that time?”

Adelia Petillo

“No, at that time, I didn’t see her. Only her I saw at the window cursing up and saying all kinds of stuff and all kind of language. And I just left shock because I know that’s not the type of person that she is.”

Emily’s husband, Daniel Hall, arrived home to find his daughter unresponsive and his wife behaving strangely. The child was rushed to the La Loma Luz Hospital in Santa Elena, but was already dead. There were no signs of violence was on the child’s body.

On the Phone: Edwardo Ico, Grandfather of Deceased

“They told me that something bad happened and then they explained to me and I told them I will be there. Saturday I went there and I met my son-in-law and I told him to explain to me what happened. He told me that my daughter was inside, making lot of noise inside the house and they went in there and saw my granddaughter laying on the bed; they took the child and put her on the sofa. Same time, my daughter is on the floor laying down and doing things that are not normal. And they took the child to the hospital and from there police come and they take my daughter. They take long to control my daughter.”

Emily Ico remains hospitalized under police guard, but according to her father, Edwardo, she has never been diagnosed with a mental health condition so her behaviour on that day is incomprehensible.

Edwardo Ico

“At no time so far…well she grow up with me and so far nothing like that. She is not a person that I know aggressive or do drugs or use alcohol.  I just really can’t believe what is happening. I think it was a dream and I will wake up and nothing like that, but it’s kinda hard to swallow what’s happening.”

Duane Moody

“How is Emily doing right now?”

Edwardo Ico

“Saturday I went there and I couldn’t talk to her. She is under medication and under police custody and they just let me in for fifteen seconds. And the words that she told me, Dad you know I love you; don’t believe them, they are liars. Dad, believe in God. That’s all she told me and they took me out and from there, I couldn’t talk to her anymore.”

Duane Moody

“So she is still hospitalized?”

Edwardo Ico

“So far, yes she’s at the hospital and under police guard also.”

Adelia Petillo

“She is a nice person, she’s friendly, she goes to church. She does everything that she’s supposed to do and she is a wonderful person; she don’t behave that way. But that morning left everybody surprise.”

Danielle Hall

The family, as well as police, is awaiting the results of a post-mortem exam to determine the cause of death of the nine-year-old. There are, however, many more questions. In the village today, residents spoke of supernatural activity at the root of what has happened. It is not known if the mother’s behaviour led to the death of the child or if her reaction was as a result of losing her only child. Emily is described as being devout and the events of August sixteenth are mindboggling.

Adelia Petillo

“All of us can’t believe it because why would she kill her daughter? Something has to be wrong; something has to be because she is not that kind of person.”

Edwardo Ico

“I am hoping for the best instead of the worst part. Some people are talking that my own daughter take away my granddaughter’s life, but I just hope that we noh reach to that stage. I just hope for the best.”

Duane Moody for News Five.