Major break in case of couple that vanished from Brown’s Caye

Police have come one step closer to solving what is now the death of Myrtle Gill who disappeared from the private island, Brown’s Caye, on or about July fourth, the date on which forensic tests show, she could have met her death. The fate of her boyfriend Earl Young Crawford is still unknown. Jose Sanchez reports on the latest police findings.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting
Nineteen year old Myrtle Gill celebrated her birthday on June seventh, and a little over a month later her badly decomposed body was retrieved fourteen miles off the coast off Belize City. On Saturday, a fisherman spotted a body near Heusner’s Caye and alerted the police. The Coastguard retrieved the body from the waters. Dudley Gill, the girl’s father, identified her body at the morgue and Doctor Mario Estradabran, Forensic Pathologist, conducted the autopsy.

Dr. Mario Estradabran, Forensic Pathologist
“The body was in an advanced state of decomposition and due to these sort of things, we cannot determine with one hundred percent accuracy.”

Marion Ali
“Which means she could have been killed and dumped there?”

Dr. Mario Estradabran
“Well, the autopsy examination reveals foul play. The more important aspect about this is to determine the cause of death and the cause of death until today’s date is undetermined due to the same thins; the advanced state of decomposition. But the post mortem reveals that she had what we call self defence stab wounds on different areas of the upper extremities mainly on the palmar areas of the hands.”

The post mortem had determined that in addition to spending seven to eight days in the water, Myrtle Gill died either the weekend of the fourth of July when she landed on the island.

Dr. Mario Estradabran
“How we determine that? The signs of decomposition one, and two, the stomach contents that she had. Her stomach was full of what appears to be fry rice, chiney man food. This means that she was killed a few hours after she ate something related with chiney man food, specifically fry rice.”

Because of the advanced state of decomposition, they could not determine the cause of death. So they can’t say it was murder, though they are aware she was wounded by a knife.

Dr. Mario Estradabran
“Between five to ten stab wounds.”

Marion Ali
“Big stab wounds?”

Dr. Mario Estradabran
“That’s a very good question. The stab wounds did not penetrate any cavity, did not affect any vital organ, did not affect any important vessel of the human economy. This is some of the reasons why the forensic doctor could not determine death in this particular case. In my opinion, those defence wounds she got on the upper extremities, at the time when the assailant inflicted those injuries, she still had enough time to run or to move away from the area where she was/. Maybe that will be one of the reasons why she was found nude.”

There is speculation that Crawford is alive and in hiding and these reports have reached Gill’s family. But the police press officer, Clement Palacio, says that they are unaware of these sightings but they will look into them.

Marion Ali
“We got a report that he was sighted in the Toledo District, more specifically, in Punta Gorda or its surroundings. Have you had any report to that effect?”

Clement Palacio, Police Press Officer
“I haven’t heard of that as yet but I think that helps the police a lot if anybody has seen this individual. Of course, that is speculation and that is yet to be verified.”

Jacqueline Godwin, Channel Seven
“But didn’t the girl’s family made this known to police over the weekend; that they themselves have been receiving reports?”

Clement Palacio
“Well, what we are going to do, we can make available to you—I can ask the investigators if that information was forwarded to the police but as far as I’ve heard, I haven’t heard anything like that.”

Crawford’s father John Young, who didn’t want to appear on camera, shared his version of the situation

John Young, Father of Earl Young Crawford
“Well from my perspective, when di policeman dehn call me and we gone out to di caye all weh we find dah di house blood and thing. And right after dat I seh well, only one thing could have happened; dehn kill mi son and dehn kill mi daughter-in-law and dat was it. And den we come een back and we begin to mek our search. Saturday we come up with di body ah di young lady. But we noh come up wid mi son one yet.”

Jose Sanchez
“What do you know of the relationship with your son with Myrtle?”

John Young
“They were so loving mein. They were so loving.”

Jose Sanchez
“One of the things that we came across was a lot of people for some reason believe that he may have had something to do with her.”

John Young
“From my perspective, the way dehn live, I noh think so. People just wah bring out rumours.”

Jose Sanchez
“One of the rumours we heard was that he has been seen in the south. Do you think your son is still alive?”

John Young
“I don’t think so mein. I believe he’s dead.”

Jose Sanchez
“Why would anyone want to harm your son?”

John Young
“I don’t know.”

Clement Palacio, Police Press Officer
“The police have an open mind in terms of investigating this matter. There has been, in the public domain, talk about many possible scenarios. Therefore, it is an open case and the police are still looking for the public’s cooperation in finding the person that is missing.

Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.