Vildo Westby Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder Conviction

Vildo Westby

In February 2017, Vildo Westby, now thirty-two-years-old, absconded to Mexico following a murder in San Pedro where well-known activist Felix Ayuso lost his life.  Ayuso, who was a member of the San Pedro AIDS Commission, was viciously stabbed with a screwdriver and his body was discovered inside his home three days later, on February fourth.  His alleged killer was nowhere to be found.  It wasn’t until six months later that authorities in neighboring Mexico caught up with Westby who was subsequently deported to Belize to face trial.  On August fifth, Westby was found guilty of Ayuso’s murder after being on pretrial detention for two years.  His sentence, however, was delayed until Wednesday when it was handed down in the Supreme Court Justice Colin Williams here in Belize City.  Vildo Westby, having been convicted of murder, is sentenced to life in prison and will not be eligible for parole until he has served a minimum of twenty-eight years and seven months in prison.