Joyce Mitchell, 19 yrs. old, murdered at her home
joyce mitchell
Gun violence flared up in the past twenty-four hours. A murder and two shootings in the City’s took place in the Old Capital in what is believed to be an open war over turf among the gangs. Only last Thursday, the leader of the South Side Gangsters, Andre Trapp, was gunned down mid-morning near the courthouse in downtown Belize City despite heavy police presence in the area. The latest shooting spree this Wednesday night ended fatally for a teenage girl. Nineteen year old Joyce Mitchell was senselessly murdered in front of her family’s house at number five Sibun Street in Belize City. Police have detained one person in connection with Joyce’s murder. One theory is that the shootings may be linked to both the Trapp and the Randy Coye’s 2009 murders. Coye was the youth whose body was discovered in a shallow grave at the Lord Ridge Cemetery on October second of last year. The five men who were remanded for his murder were released last week after the prosecution repeatedly failed to produce a case file. There is word that one of them may have retaliated against the Mitchell family when they killed Joyce to send a message to her brother, Osmond. Osmond is believed to be a member of Ghost Town gang, who are deadly rivals of the SSG, of which Trapp is said to have been the boss until the day he was slain. There is another report that Joyce’s murder is connected to the shooting last week of Nelson Henry. But speculation is rampant, tonight and another mother is grieving. Marion Ali visited with the teen’s mother and filed the following report.
Marion Ali, reporting
There were no bloodstains to mark the spot where nineteen year old Joyce Mitchell collapsed after she was shot at close range in the head, but that did not take away from the grisly attack that rained down shortly after six on Thursday evening. Her mother, Jennifer Staine was along with her daughter when it happened.
Jennifer Staine, Mother of Deceased
jennifer staine
“Every evening when she – cause she work and she goh home we walk ah thru the gate. And she walk, the two ah we, caz we gwein and ih mi deh out deh di sit down and my sista mi deh dah di lane soh I tell she I gwein goh bathe and ah wah come back come tell ah when I gwein and I mi deh out deh soh di stand up and ih tell she I gwein. Soh she mi di sit down pan di back ah ih sista car. Very well ah dehn lee pickni mi deh out deh. Mi grand pickni dehn mi right out deh long wid ah too. Soh wah young mi deh dai di lane deh pan ih bicycle deh adn he seh unu watch out, watch out.”
The gunman, who wore a white t shirt, black plants and a black cloth over his face, approached from the direction of the bridge at the corner of Lakeview Street and rode up close to Mitchell and her seventeen year old sister-in-law then opened fire. But he did not stop, the girl told us off camera that he continued to shoot as he rode further along Sibun Street at people who were hanging out. She said she heard at least fifteen shots altogether, as she grabbed Mitchell and ducked behind the car they were sitting on. But by then, it was too late; the first shot had already penetrated her head. Mitchell lived for two hours then died while receiving treatment at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Jennifer Staine says the loss is overwhelming to the family, who was there when it happened.
Jennifer Staine
“Wi di try to cope with it.”
Marion Ali
“I understand when she was taken to the hospital, she showed very promising signs—she was conscious even. And it was after that she succumbed?”
Jennifer Staine
“Mhmmm, gone.”
Marion Ali
“What did the doctors say?”
Jennifer Staine
“The doctors say ih never mi wahn make it because the bullet gone through ih temple and come out the other side.”
Police have since detained Jervis Valencia pending investigations. Reporting for News Five, I am Marion Ali.
This is a tradegy, really.
Her brother is the leader of a ruthless gang,and this puts his famaily lives at risk, sadly this is the outcome of such lives.
They need to start hanging them, with even wasting the court’s money, taking them to court. What is there to listen to, especially when they do stuff that is so brazen like this. HANG HANG HANG THEM!
my deepest respect goes out to the family for there lost , i have 3 kids here in belize and thats my biggest fear to hear one of them get kill. What is the politicians doing this is way out of hand some curfew and hanging need to start because the criminal the show everybody regardless of who that they don’t have no fear and they gonna keep on doing all this ….. Wake up belizeans people and lets us start defend ourselves.
Belize Ministry of Defense ah cu tell u weh bratton wah tell unu ” arm every single police with vests,pepperspray,2 handcuffs,and a gun.”
oh mein….kill all the killers, hang all the gang members, THIS FOOLISHNESS HAS GOT TO STOP, LOOK AT WHAT ITS CAUSING….F___ MEIN…WHERE IS THE SECURITY, I HOPE THIS POOR LITTLE INNOCENT GIRL KILLER (S) IS BROUGHT TO JUSTICE….OR BETTER YET YOU KNOW, LET’S ALL KILL EACH OTHER FOR NO F__________G REASON…THIS HERE IS WHAT YOU CALL R….. BEYOND BS…SORRY FOR MY RUDENESS, BUT I GUESS I AM JUST TIRED OF HEARING AND READING ABOUT THIS BS!!
May the sinners weep .
i believe that hanging is the only way to scare this crime madness in our country. all this months by we read the crime acts with no solution or way to stop it. the girl is innocent becuase she has no relation with gang activity. i feel that her mom knew her brothers activity and it’s a pity that his family runs high risk of harrassment for his life style.
If her brother is the leader of a ruthless gang, then what you expect!!! He is partially to blame!!!
I wonder what these young men get out of being gangs leaders!!! They should know that once tyou live this kind of life you put your entire family at risk.
The brother either can be part of the solution or part of the problem!!
He have to chose now, If the parents knew he was a gang leader they should have expected this retaliation. Hmmm
It’s sad what they did to this young woman, cut her life short, because of stupidness.
u guys don’t even realize that an innocent life has been taken despite what her brother is.So u guys swore him in to be d leader.Ok then what a united country
You know what, the real is; someone of those shottas got to take a shot at ……….. and his disciples and even maybe seriously wound one of them for them to really understand the magnitude of this violence situation in Belize City. Until then, all this shenanigance that they are presenting to Belizeans trying to give us the impression that they have it under controll or is gonna get it there soon ain’t worth …… The reality is until one of them (GOB) die as a result of rutless violence nothing is going to change. Belize is the next Jamaica in the making and people need to recognize that and mentally prepare themselves for crime to be the rule of the day if we don’t do something to these politicians to show them our seriousness about the violence situation.
As for the the family of the young lady who died as a result, I have mix emotions and that is the real. I’m sorry for them and at the same time not. Sorry that the young lady lost her life for we knew not what she could have become and what value she could have been to our country. On the flip of that we have her mother and father to thanks for this. And to add to the list, there are numerous more parents in Belize that needs to be added to this list. YOU IDIOTS NEED TO GET CONTROL OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD AND KIDS. YOU ARE THE REASON WHY THERE ARE GANGS, THIEVES, RAPPIST, WIFE BEATERS AND CHILD MOLESTERS. DON’T BLAME THE CROP ON THE POLITICIANS ALONE YOU TOO HOLD A LARGE PORTION OF THE BLAME.
Now I know that above statement does not apply to all families because some of these guys want to be this way but the family at the end of the day needs to recognize this way of life and address it immediately before it gets out of hand as it today for many.
The brother of this young lady, you need to be shot right in between your eyes you fool. Your ignorance and selfishness have pleuage your family and will continue to bring them pain until you are gone. Take it from me I know. Remember Hugh “Angel” Thomas leader of the Bloods gang that was shot at the corner of King and Far West Streets? Barbie as we know him was my friends from age 5 and was not only my friend but my brother and was a good kid growing up but life on the mean streets of Belize city sent him in a different direction from the one we expected of him. Belize as a nation need to wake up, we really don’t want to see Belize end up like Jamaica I promise you this much, for it is not going be a good thing.
Violence against violence won’t work!!!U talking about ignorance?How many have lost,u need to go to god in prayer young lady…along with all these gang members
If a political leader, or his family member is threatened, shot or killed, It will not improve our justice system. The Prime Minister and the Minister of Police will respond by increasing the personal seciurity of said politician’s family home, his workplace and give him round the clock armed police escort at taxpayers’ expense
i hope this innconect little girl gets justics and hope her brother realized he’s mistake and take action
I believe the problem starts with the parents.If this young lady’s brother is affiliated with gangs then this shouldn’t be surprising.Anyone of this fool family member could have being the victim.
I believe the problem starts with the parents.If this young lady’s brother is affiliated with gangs then this shouldn’t be surprising.Anyone of this fool’s family member could have being the victim.
A beautiful sista is gone!!!! all i gat to say is what you sew you will reap, it all start at parenting.enough said LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE.SOO SAD SHE IS GANE THAT WAY.A prayer heavenly father please protect the innocent and forgive these killer’s among us.ppl i want to know what happen to belize nice it a paradise?????
It’s really sad that innocent people are dying everyday because our Prime Minister refuse to starting hanging these senseless “KILLERS”. It honestly seems like the person committing these crimes has more rights than the victims. This is one of the reasons why they’re so much crimes happening everyday, because people commit these crimes and because of the Justice system we have they walk FREE. They kill and then pay off their way and that’s not fair at all the victims or their families. We the people are getting sick and tired of sitting back and watch our country fall apart due to violence. We all need to take a stand and start fighting back, since our Ministers won’t do it for us. It seems that when they are all sit on their thrown, they actually forgot who put them there and without our votes they’re nothing. Families are grieving and will never stop grieving especially when justice isn’t served. Sometimes they treat victims like they’re nothing, because they allow the killers to walk free. I bet if it was a Minister’s child who was gunned down for no reason, I can grantee you that the city would be turned upside down and they will let anyone pay for the crime regardless if they were innocent or not. But it seems like our children doesn’t have faces too. “WE NEED TO RUN THE CRIMINALS OUT OF BELIZE”.
It’s sad that a young life has been taken away. Unfortunately, her brother Osmond is a known gangster of Ghost Town and a killer of many young youths that have died by his hands. What you sow you really reap.
I agree with Sister Love, the parents are to blame. Ms. J and her husband knows the life that their son is living and doesn’t do any thing about it. The parents of Joyce knows that on a daily basis lots of gang members and young men hang out in their yard plot attacks against people in the Long Barracks and other areas that they want to retaliate on. Osmond a.k.a. minky has taken away so many lives from the Long Barracks area and back a town. The police knows this and just sit back and not do any thing about it. The Mitchell family can ask for prayers and support from every one but we can’t forget the many lives their son Minky has taken.
Minky has taken precious people from their families so some thing precious has been taken away from him. Hopefully, this can be an eye opener to the Mitchell family and residence of Sibun Street to not hang out in the alley of Sibun and corner of the street. The only true people to blame are the gangsters that have corrupted that area. Sibun Street is known as a hot spot where people normally go by and shoot up.
The people in this area is not safe because of the gangsters that hang out in the Mitchell’s yard and the alley way leading to other houses that are at the back of the Mitchell’s. That area is known for guns smuggling, shootings, taking young girls in the back house to have sex and a lot more stuff that the police need to investigate.
That is not a safe area and the police need to clean it up or another young life will be taken away. How said that the residence of that community is scared to speak up about the gangsters that have corrupted that area. Are they not scared for their children safety?
In Belize we say that blood is thicker than water & we have carried that belief to the extreme. It was only a matter of time before the girls became targets & if this does not hammer home to all the parents the need take back their community, nothing will. In simple terms, we kill our young women, we will eventually become extinct so the death penalty will become a mute point if we sit on our hand long enough.
Katara,
Only God has the power to judge. He sees all evil and even though it appears that he is asleep the time will come when each of us will pay for our sins. You, yourself have your sins to pay for. I personally know the young lady that was murdered and she was not involved in gang. She carried herself with pride. Infact she was not even associated with the likes of you. She was raised with morals and values. She was a beautiful person. There are many people who are responsible for lots of crime if you claim that Minky is responsible for many murders. Then take your proof to the police so that he can be convicted. The gangsters cannot be convicted if they do NOT receive the assistance of the public.. After all set yourself as an example since u appear to no so much. or are u a coward take example from Martin Luther King. It should be your honour to stand up regardless of the risk for a great cause. stand up you already made many accusation defend them… go to the authority and provide the evidence
Sometimes I think people need to know the situation before they speak of it …how many of you up here knows that family …and dont say yes if u heard about them or see them …knowing about them takes more than the usually gossip that ppl carry around …no family is perfect and instead of us being supporting we are quick to critize …its sad that Joyce life was taken away from her so quick but shes now gone and her family and true friends are still mourning the loss of their love one….remember today fi me tomorrow fi u so be careful on the judgements u make …because tonites news mite be u
I agree with LTC you raised some very valid points. Overall they’re are many underlying reasons why Belize is in the state that it is. I commend LTC for listing these problems. I only wish someone in the government of Belize would take note,and seriously try to end this spiral state of destruction of this country. It’s a shame that the people of this beautiful country have to be expose to the devastating news each day, and live in fear. God Bless Belize.
The reason we do not prosper as a people is due to negative thoughts as is shown in several of the statements above. People are not sympathetic to the pains of other people hence the cycle of ruthlessness. I would like to extend my heartfelt condolences to the Mitchell Family. Your daughter did not deserve such a cruel death. Yes she grew and lived in a rough neighborhood but that does not mean she was caught up in a life of hussling and gang.
TO MITCHELL FAMILY
Cast your troubles unto the Lord God Almighty , he will nurture you through everything that you are going through . The Lords promise is that he will never let the Righteous fall. This fall means that the Righteous person will never be moved out of the Lord’s Grace . The more you throw unto the lord the more he will help you.
TO MURDERERS THE BIBLE SAYS GENESIS 9:6
whoever sheds the blood of man by man shall his blood be shed for in the image of God has God made man.
BARROW. Stop the nepotism and start fulfilling the job you were elected to do. Criminals are running rampant in our streets.
When I 1st read this news I kept thinking why would someone shoot a young woman outside her house…..after reading comments on this page I now understand sometimes the good pay for the bad. So unfortunate this had to happen to this young lady, I can’t imagine what her family is going through. Her bro needs to get his act together and realize his stupid actions caused his young beautiful sis her life.
in response to Elgin Martinez you can’t blame the parent,we as parents try to raise our kids the best we can and once they get out there into the world they do what they want to do no parent wants to loose a child,no parent want their child to be in a gang,it is just phatetic that this young lady with a promising future had to loose her life so sensless.I say hang the killer.
A JUDGER IS A SINNER AND IF U HAVE GLASS WINDOWS DON’T THROUGH STONES. IF U SPIT IN THEVSKY IT WILL FALL BACK ON U. INSTEAD NEGATIVE COMMENTS SUGGEST WAYS WHICH WE AS NATION CAN MAKE CHANGES TO CURVE OUR CRIMINAL SITUATION.
A JUDGER IS A SINNER AND IF U HAVE GLASS WINDOWS DON’T THROUGH STONES. IF U SPIT IN THE SKY IT WILL FALL BACK ON U. INSTEAD NEGATIVE COMMENTS SUGGEST WAYS WHICH WE AS NATION CAN MAKE CHANGES TO CURVE OUR CRIMINAL SITUATION.
where my parents accused of being bad parents?I recall clearly growing up that my father moved us to the city to provide us the best education he could afford. he dedicated himself in working two jobs to pay for our education and to guarantee that our Needs were satisfied. yes their may be what u class a rotten egg in the family but are any of you perfect. let he who is without sin cast the first stone. My baby sister did not deserve the faith she was dealt. she was a angel on earth and so she will be in heaven. my parents are both decent people who have tried their best to lead us in the right path. yes we lost an innocent person to violence and though many people voice negative remarks the people who are close to our family know our story. so all ur negative ignorant remarks will only strengthen our family unity. may ur lives always be filled with peace so u may never know the pain of losing a love one and if u have I say unite as a family and go to God in prayer.
belize need to stop the violent and started to give there lives to god , if only they could seek god frist before they thing about shooting anybody or fighting with anyone pick up the bible and read it i garantee you it will benifit everyone in belize . they need to get gun and drug dealer and gang banger off the street it a shame to see all these crime is happened in belize it is a small country why everyone in belize start living in harmony and start seeking god face
Jenice and Jewel P
Lets see of u share the same view if Minky shot one of your family… We are not judger we are realist … the Bible also say if u see someone doing wrong correct them…
and to Gay Smith
of course u can’t blame the parents for everything,, but they are part of the problem and if what katara is saying is true then they are the problem. I hope Minky gets what he deserves, sorry I have no sympathy for him. I sympathize with the family but not him. How many mommas have cried for a son or daughter he has killed, how many children are father less because of him. How many homes have he broken. Yeah say what u want but life is too short. Now its time for his family to cry for their lost i hope this is not the last cry, cuz they need to shed one more try for “minky”…
3verything happens 4 a reason so bzean ppl just stop with the wis e comments and live yur life ,cuz that cud have been anone of yur child.
Typical Belizean people. They love to talk things that they don’t know. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing the Mitchell family. The parents work hard to provide for all the kids. At the end of the day parents can only try, you can lead the donkey to the well and it does not have to drink. To sit and blame the parents is wrong, to say they don’t do anything or try to talk to Minky is worse. None of you are in that household, none of you know the stories….so please stop talking what you don’t know. Stop being IGNORANT as the true meaning of the word.
Joyce has blessed the lives of the people who were fortunate enough to know her. She is in a better place with God and his angels.
To the Mitchell Family, I have you all in my prayers. Just take it to God in prayers. He knows best and he sees things we don’t. One day at a time, some days will seem like the new normal others will be hard but once you trust and believe in the Almighty you will be ok. He has promised to take us. He will never take us where he won’t protect us.
Joyce Mitchell rest in peace, we are all missing you.