Murder in Seine Bight; Several Persons Detained
Ernest Staine
In the wee hours of Sunday, a lone gunman carried out a brazen murder in Seine Bight Village in the Stann Creek District. Residents were gathered at Gee-Pees establishment on the main road in the village, when Ernest Staine was shot multiples times and died on the spot; while, Alrick Munnings was shot once and survived the ordeal. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.
Duane Moody, Reporting
Around 12:30 on Sunday morning, shots rang out in Seine Bight Village. Two persons were targeted as they stood among many others at an establishment in the village. As was recounted to News Five this morning, Ernest Staine was struck once, before the gunman turned his gun on Alrick Munnings. After Munnings was hit once to the body, the gunman reportedly then stood over Staine and emptied the gun. His sister Shelmadine Jones got the call around one a.m.
Voice of: Shelmadine Jones, Sister of Deceased
“I get the call about after one when my sister-in-law call me and tell me that dehn shot my bredda dead. I tell ahn like this, please stop tell lie. I tell ahn no. Ih say yes, dah true. And then I stone down my phone and start cry. From then, I noh really sleep. I noh got appetite to eat. That dah my oldest bredda and my ma oldest pikney. When ih shot ahn and ih see ih drop, he get over ahn and finish ahn so dah like you mean fi do it.”
Voice of: Shelmadine Jones
Duane Moody
“So definitely not mistaken identity?”
Voice of: Shelmadine Jones
“Dah noh no mistake because if dah mi wah mistake, why when you shot ahn and you see ahn drop, why you neva gone? You walk over ahn and finish ahn. Dah noh no mistake. He mean fi do it. So I want know why ih do it.”
Police responded to the scene of the crime shortly after. By that time, Munnings had already been rushed to the Southern Regional Hospital for treatment. He remains in a stable condition at this time.
ASP Fitzroy Yearwood
ASP Fitzroy Yearwood, Communications Director, Belize Police Department
“They saw the motionless body of Ernest Staine. Initial investigation reveal that Staine and his friend Alrick Munnings were with the owner of a bar socialising under a shed when a lone gunman entered the yard and fired several shots in their direction fatally injuring Staine to the body and Munnings got injured to his neck.”
Residents say that Staine was no troublemaker and has been living in the village with his common-law wife for about five years. But based on the information shared with the family so far, it is believed that Staine was the intended target. So, what’s the motive behind the killing?
Voice of: Shelmadine Jones
“My bredda noh fool with people. From work home, home work. I want ask the person weh kill my bredda why? Weh my bredda do he fi make he kill my bredda cause my bredda noh fool with people. My bredda laugh and talk to everybody. So I want know why? I just want ask ahn why. Dehn noh know how dehn hurt me cause I noh got no more big bredda fi go talk to or come tell my bredda if anybody di do me anything. I noh got no bredda fi go talk to. I wah miss my bredda.”
ASP Fitzroy Yearwood
“When it comes to motive for this murder, we haven’t gathered much so far. We do have a person of interest that we are searching for. But that’s as much as I can say on this investigation because this person is not yet in police custody. And when it comes to identity of persons wanted for murder, we try not to put too much information out there that could detriment the process if this person is found and charged.”
Voice of: Shelmadine Jones
“I woulda want dehn find the person; we need justice cause dehn kill my bredda fi nothing. Nothing. Cause people say ih noh have no problem up yah with nobody, so why?”
Duane Moody for News Five.
