Citrus Growers Association’s Financial Controller murdered

herman morris

Turning to crime, there’s been turmoil in the Citrus Industry for months and tonight the industry is beset by a heinous murder. Herman Morris, financial controller for the Citrus Growers Association was found murdered early on Saturday morning. Morris worked in the Pomona Valley for the past nine months but lived San Ignacio. Morris left work on Friday evening, drove home and was later found dead in his vehicle. News Five Isani Cayetano was in the west today and files this report.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

The gruesome discovery of the body of Herman Morris, chief financial officer of the Citrus Growers Association, at his residence in San Ignacio Town over the weekend has sent massive shockwaves across the country.  The neighborhood of Blue Hole Street in Cahal Pech has long been quiet and peaceful and when officers were summoned to the area on Saturday morning residents were astonished that a murder had occurred there the night before.  In an attempt to either flee his attackers or rush himself to the hospital he reversed his vehicle violently into this gate.  His body, found slumped inside his red Saturn Vue, was punctured numerously with a sharp instrument revealing stab wounds to his chest, chin and head.  Morris had been terminated with extreme prejudice.

His home showed no signs of forced entry but at the rear of the bungalow where a single window is situated it is visible that the burglar bars had been tampered with.

The chronology of events leading up to this latest homicide is ghastly as the last thing Morris did before leaving work at CGA on Friday evening was to deliver a dismissal letter for Dr. Henry Canton.  Canton had been fired during a special meeting held by the association’s membership earlier that day.

Upon leaving Pomona Valley Morris then drove to San Ignacio where a domestic employed by him had stopped by to collect her week’s pay.  Seeing the vehicle in the position it was initially raised no alarm as the woman thought that Morris may have been drinking and had accidentally parked against the iron gate.  Instead, she reportedly returned to the residence the following morning, found the vehicle in the same location and decided to enter the premises.  What she encountered was a grisly murder scene.

Isani Cayetano

“The death of forty-seven year old Herman Morris has rocked the citrus industry to its core.  It was only on Friday Morris was here at work facilitating an extraordinary general meeting of citrus shareholders.”

Today the office building where he worked was adorned with several black bows as his colleagues grieve this massive loss.

diane williams

Diane Williams, Executive Secretary, CGA

“I know Mister Morris since March of this year; he started with us as the accountant. And then he moved up as the financial controller. I’ve know Mister Morris over the months. I’ve worked very close with Mister Morris and I’ve found Mister Morris to be a very hard worker. Mister Morris was friendly with everybody. I mean he was not in the industry long, but all our growers knew Mister Morris, all our growers look forward to see Mister Morris here. So when the sad news came out about Mister Morris, our growers were so, so sad.”

Equally stunned by this senseless homicide was Henry Anderson, the executive director of the Citrus Growers Association.

Henry Anderson, Exec. Dir., CGA

henry anderson

“He was very committed to the growers. I believe all of our growers who come in here and have had to deal with Mister Morris found him very helpful. He would always try to find ways to ensure that they would get the assistance they need. He was very, very committed. He was an ultimate team player, a great person to work with.”

Isani Cayetano

“How is the association dealing with this loss at this moment?”

Henry Anderson

“State of shock. It was our good colleague. He was like a brother to all of us here. I mean I can still see his vehicle driving off on Friday. As a matter of fact I called him on Saturday morning and then later on found out the tragic news. So state of shock at this point.”

But who would want Morris dead?

Diane Williams

“If anybody knows any information of what happened to Mister Morris, please, please call crime stoppers or the police because we need to find out what happened to Mister Morris. We can’t let a good man like that just go like that. I mean we need to find out what happened.”

Isani Cayetano

“Did he at any point in time tell you guys here at work that he may have been threatened by anyone, or that his life may have been in danger?”

Diane Williams

“Well he had never mentioned anything like that, but he was the type of person that whatever needs to get done, he will make sure that it’s done. He, if there is instances where he has to be on the frontline, he is not afraid. He makes sure that things happen in a peaceful mannerly way. When our meetings are here, he is there to ensure that everything is going the correct way.”

But things went awfully wrong that night and San Ignacio Police have since detained Morris’ employee for questioning in connection with his murder. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.