Nine year old found dead near Gracie Rock

First there was Sherilee Nicholas, then Jackie Fern Malic and maybe–after unidentified remains found– Jay Blades. Now there is Erica Wills. Her bones were found this weekend, exactly three weeks after she disappeared. For such a small country, Belize has had more than its share of child murders in the last ten months. Despite the arrest of one man for Jackie Malic’s death and no evidence at this point to link Erica’s fate to any of the other murders, everyone is now wondering if the right man is behind bars, or if there is a copycat killer out there. Or is the case completely unrelated like the murder of 10 year old Karen Cruz in Orange Walk in early June? Today news five had the sad duty of covering yet another unspeakable crime.

The Wills family and friends say they don’t know who would want to kill nine year old Erica Wills an Infant Two student of Salvation Army school. Wills who would celebrated her tenth birthday on July thirty first was known by everyone as a friendly little girl who tried to do her best in everything she did.

Barbara Lino, Principal, Salvation Army School

“Very pleasant little girl, very active. The Wednesday before school close we had sports day and she won several races, very active, very lively.”

Karen Wills, Mother

“My little girl no mess with nobody she friendly with everybody. Everybody she sees she friendly with everybody. She no harm nobody she is just a friendly little girl.”

Wills was first reported missing on Saturday June twenty sixth when she failed to come home after spending some time at a relative’s house on Euphrates Avenue. Her disappearance was not noticed until Tuesday the twenty ninth, two days later because both families thought she was with the other. The search was further hampered by the fact that neither the family nor the school had any photographs of Erica. She was simply described to the media as being of East Indian descent with long black hair, three feet four inches tall and about seventy pounds. One newspaper carried a rough sketch. But although the family and the Criminal Investigation Branch received reports that the little girl was seen in the area of Central American Boulevard all attempts to locate her failed. Despite the passing days, Karen Wills remained optimistic that her daughter would return safely.

Karen Wills

“I never give up the hopes that nothing bad happen to my daughter. I all the time feel that she is living. I no give up hopes that she dead because I no want to think them kind of things them.”

But on Saturday, July seventeenth CIB received a disturbing call that the skull of a young girl was discovered on a hillside by Gracie Rock village, twenty miles on the Western highway. The remains were found by villager Samuel Brakeman. He was returning from a trip to the city and decided to use the winding feeder road since the main road to the village was flooded. He had just come over the hill when he came upon the gruesome scene.

Samuel Brakeman

“When I first see the head cause the first thing I see is the head, I just put my foot on it and kick it over and see what kind of head and when I look it was a person. Well I found some, another long piece out there so. I don’t know if it is the hand or it is the piece from the foot, a couple piece I see down there.”

The site where the remains were found is about half a mile off the main road that leads to Gracie Rock village. It is located just behind the Belize Aggregates Quarry. According to the villagers the area which can be reached by either going through the entrance of the Quarry or through the main road is not heavily trafficable and is only used when the main road becomes flooded as we found it while we made our way to the crime scene.

Jacqueline Woods, Reporting

“Police say they do not believe young Erica was killed here but rather her body was brought dumped and buried under this pile of rocks here.”

Police pathologist Dr. Mario Estradabran says while at this time he does not know when the crime may have occurred he suspects the body may have been at the scene for about two to three weeks. Due to elements and animals in the vicinity the body quickly decomposed and the bones were scattered over the area.

Beside the remains laid pieces of clothing, a lock of long black hair, a blue ponytail holder, a silver bangle and a tweety bird ring among other things. On Sunday these items were positively identified by Wills as her daughter’s.

Karen Wills

“And when I gone, that they have there and her clothes the panty she had on everything. It hit hard because I couldn’t even stand that. My husband had to hold me because I couldn’t stand. All my feeling is that somebody kidnap her and forced her and so to gone into the vehicle. Once it is a man she can’t fight a man.”

Estradabran and the police say at this time they do not know if this murder and the previous child murders are related.

The investigation into the death of Erica Wills is being headed by Inspector Eli Salazar. In related news, the remains from the grave of Sherilee Nicholas which were exhumed after police questioned the identity have not yet been sent to the FBI in Washington for testing. Police say they are trying to locate her father to get blood samples.