Missing Man Elrick Vairez Turns Up Dead
Elrick Vairez
The result of a post-mortem examination is still pending in the death of thirty-five-year-old Elrick Lee Vairez. His body was discovered on Tuesday evening near Montego Bay Caye, located approximately eight miles north of Belize City, and one day after he was reported missing by a fisherman with whom he travelled to the private island last Friday. While there were no visible signs of injury on the body, today, News Five spoke with his mother who believes that her son may have been involved in drugs.
Duane Moody, Reporting
It is a sad day for the family of Elrick Lee Vairez. His body was discovered after four p.m. on Tuesday in the vicinity of Montego Bay Caye by a search team consisting of personnel from the Belize Coast Guard and the Belize Police Department.
Jr. Grade Melissa Jones
Lt. Jr. Grade Melissa Jones, Operations Officer, Belize Coast Guard
“Whenever they request, we work hand in hand. Whatever assistance they may need transportation wise, until we reveal it to be successful in whatever case it may be, that’s what we do. We always work hand in hand with each department. The OC of CIB and I coordinated a joint search and we departed headquarters at 13:40 hours and within two hours of our search, 16:30 hours, in the area of Caye Chapel – between Caye Chapel and Hicks Caye – the motionless body of Mister Elrick Vairez was found in the water by some shrubs.”
Vairez, a thirty-five-year-old father of one, reportedly left Belize City on Friday, February seventeenth in the company of Douglas Gill, a fisherman from Conch Shell Bay onboard of a boat named “Young Lion.” Gill reported him missing on Monday, stating that he last saw Vairez alive on Sunday morning walking on the island. The deceased lived with his mother, Idolly Vairez at their family home on Jasmine Street in the Saint Martin’s area.
Idolly Vairez
Idolly Vairez, Mother of Deceased
“I just left speechless; in space, couldn’t say nothing. Neva know what to say. I still don’t know what to say. That’s my baby. Only me and he live together ina that house dah back deh. I got two other sons; dehn deh dah front, but me and he deh dah back.”
Duane Moody
“When was the last time that you saw him?”
Idolly Vairez
“I noh even know. I think I mi lef ahn ina ih bed. When I gone out and come back, dehn gone bout dehn business.”
The grieving mother blames herself for Elrick’s death, sharing with News Five that her son may have been caught up with drugs.
Idolly Vairez
“I meet it ina di house and I noh wah make police come and arrest me for nothing like that so I throw it ina di garbage because I dah noh that and ih pa dah noh that. Ih pa dah mi wah CIB man; he was a cop before he died. Ih gone back fi more and dehn say that ih get hook up with wire or something. That dah weh I hear, talking. So if ih neva gone back, maybe ih mi wah deh yah today day.”
Lieutenant Junior Grade Melissa Jones, Operations Officer at the Belize Coast Guard, says that the Montego Bay area is not really considered a hotspot for criminal activity.
Lt. Jr. Grade Melissa Jones
“Of lately, it has not been an area of concern for us. Our primary area of concern for us would have been in the past the north, more Caye Chapel which we had ongoing intelligence of refuelling for criminal elements, such as drug vessels. However, during that time, we have still not had that area being known as we disregarded it, but we still do whatever patrols within the area just to maintain our security presence within the area.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
