Female Minor, 16, First Murder Victim of 2020
Samantha Conorquie
A female minor is the first murder victim for 2020. She spent the holidays at a friend’s house in Belize City, but on Friday night, her life was cut short when she was murdered execution-style. Samantha answered a call and exited the house where she was staying on Ordonez Avenue. As she stood on the street side and was on her phone, she came under fire at around ten o’clock on Friday night. The sixteen-year-old died instantly. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.
Duane Moody, Reporting
Sixteen-year-old Samantha Conorquie, a resident of Lord’s Bank Village, was staying at this house on Ordonez Avenue, Belize City for several weeks, having spent the Christmas and the New Year with friends. But on January third after ten p.m., she received a phone call, exited the house and as she stood on to the street, a gunman approached and fired several shots at her. Moments later Conorquie lay dead on the pavement.
Voice of: Friend
“I got a call and they told me that Samantha was killed; that she is on the ground and that she is dead. So I rushed home on a cycle, which took a couple minutes, and when I reached there, she was dead on the ground. She was already dead.”
Duane Moody
“Any idea as to what happened?”
Voice of: Friend
“I have absolutely no idea what happened. I wasn’t home. I left and she was there on the bed talking on the phone and that was probably two hours before this occurred.”
Duane Moody
“She lived there?”
Voice of: Friend
“She came to stay with me for the Christmas break. She wanted to spend some time. She knew me, she knew my kids, she knows we are fun, we are loving. When you get to know people; I’m the type of person where family is not always blood. So she knew she was a part of my family, she called me ma.”
News Five understands that at least one of the bullets made its mark on Conorquie’s head. Police say that the investigation so far has indicated that the minor was the intended target.
Hilberto Romero
Reporter
“Sir, have police been able to determine if this shooter intended to target her or was she some sort of secondary target to send a message?”
Sr. Supt. Hilberto Romero, Deputy Head, National Crimes Investigation Branch
“The information is that she was there and this gunman came and fired shots at her. That is the information we have.”
Reporter
“Is there any reason to believe that she had conflict with anyone or is it a situation where maybe the friends she kept?”
Sr. Supt. Hilberto Romero
“Well there are several leads that we are following. We have our information that we gathered from within that area and detectives are following up on those information that we got to try and establish what led her to being targeted in that area.”
Reporter
“Sir was her murder a form of retaliation by any gangs?”
Sr. Supt. Hilberto Romero
“We do not know at this time.”
Andrea Polanco
“Sir, anything to indicate if she had ever been threatened before or anyone close to her?”
Sr. Supt. Hilberto Romero
“No, we don’t have that information no.”
Andrea Polanco
“Are we certain that she was the intended target of that shooting?”
Sr. Supt. Hilberto Romero
“Yes we are.”
So what could have triggered the execution of the female minor? It’s a question that remains unanswered at this time. Family and friends, as well as the police, are baffled by its callousness.
Voice of: Friend
“Everyone is at a last. Every friend, every family, everyone who knows her is overwhelmed with grief because she as a lively person. We called her Big Love because she was love. She was a loveable person. From I met her, I could rail up with she right now and ina di next two minutes, me and she sweet. She didn’t deserve this. It is sad; it’s hurtful. Samantha is someone who was always on her phone. The police actually have her phone. She is always taking pictures, she is always videoing; half of the time we are not talking because Samantha is just a fun person. She likes making videos, she like dance. She was just a warm and loving girl; too young to die like this.”
Sr. Supt. Hilberto Romero
“We have no motive at this time. We are seeking one suspect in relation to this shooting and investigation is ongoing at this time into this murder.”
In expressing his condolences to the families of female minors who have recently been victims of gun violence, namely Chantuse Martinez and Conorquie, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams shared an advice to young girls.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“There are some young girls who just love to associate themselves with persons that are referred to as ‘bad man’ and sometimes the effect of that coming back to them could be very detrimental in terms of violence being perpetrated against them as well. And so selecting your friends or associates or who you date really and truly has a lot to do with it. And again, parents of these young girls also need to be more involved in terms of knowing who their daughter is dating or who their daughter’s friends are and see how they can offer advice where necessary.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
