12 year old Jannessa Jones murdered
jannessa jones
The other homicide involves a twelve year old girl whose mother appeared on our newscast on Tuesday night. Janessa Jones went missing on Monday and today her body was retrieved from the sea in the area of Mile four and a half on the northern highway. Marion Ali was at the scene and has this report.
Marion Ali, Reporting
The police and Belize Coast Guard boats were called to the sea just a few hundred yards east of the Bay View Oasis at mile four and a half on the Northern Highway. The news they brought back was the worst any parent could bear – the body of twelve year old Janessa Jones, who went missing on Monday evening, had been found. Police Press Officer, Sergeant Fitzroy Yearwood, explained that police got the tip from a boat owner using the nearby marina. Janessa’s mother, Arlene Bainton, says she had sent the young girl on an errand to Belize City when she went missing.
fitzroy yearwood
Sergeant Fitzroy Yearwood, Police Press Officer
“The child was reported missing. We sent out a release, sent out flyers. We were looking for this twelve year old child, Miss Jones. We found her body. We went as far as to try and question even classmates and our investigation will continue this way.”
On Tuesday night, Janessa’s mother, Arlene Bainton, gave News Five an interview after the family’s effort to locate the missing child proved futile.
Arlene Bainton, Mother of Murdered Girl (File, January 11, 2011)
Arlene Bainton
“I send her to Belize to run some errands and then she never returned.”
Delahnie Bain
“What time was this?”
Arlene Bainton
“Like after four-thirty, minutes to five.”
Today, the little girl’s father, Joshua Jones, told us off camera that she had been living with him for a while but went to live with Bainton, at her home in Ladyville. 
It was from this same house that Janessa reportedly left home on Monday when she went missing. 
Because the body had already showed signs of decomposition, the post mortem examination was conducted on this dirt road off the Boom Road after which Janessa was laid to rest in Ladyville. Marion Ali for News Five.
There are now three murders since the beginning of the year; the first murder victim was Michael Malic, who was killed over the past weekend.
Tell me how parents could send their child on an errand from Ladyville to Belize City by themselves when Belize is in this state of ruthlessness.
Only GOD can help us now!
This is very sad, people of Belize stop what you are doing and listen, ” DO NOT SEND YOUR YOUNG CHILDREN OUT BY THEMSELVES TO RUN ERRANDS” I am sure that nothing you have to get done is worth more than their lives, this is what Belize has become a selfish and hateful society, yes I know that there are still many decent people in Belize however this type of thing has overshadowed the decency in the society and it is time that people realize that Belize is not the place it used to be like twenty years ago.
What the hell! I feel this gal would be dead if she wasn’t found within 24hrs. What you mean the post mortem examination was done on the side of the road due to decomposition. That sounds a bit sloppy if they don’t even try to find out the cause of death. Was she dead before or after she entered the water, was there any broken bones that might indicate a beaten or strangulation, was her lungs filled with water, what was the core temperature of the body to try and figure out the possible time of death. Do these people even care about solving this crime or are they just chalking it up as another dead body and move on with thier lives!
At the time she was supposed to catch the bus, did the person driving on that day recall seeing her even get on the bus? Was there anyone that may have been on the bus on that day at that time recall seeing her? Knowing these things would help narrow down if this is a cover up or random murder.
If anybody has any information about this crime, don’t mind your own business, please come forward and start a trend for change and justice! R.I.P Jannessa, you didn’t deserve this and I hope your killer is found!
Something stinks & it is not this child’s dead body. Did this child even attend school on Monday? Did anyone other than her mother see her at all on Monday or over the weekend for that matter? From the level of decomposition, can the coroner tell when did this child actually died?
I want to believe that this mother was just negligent & not complicit in this child’s death but since we cannot whip her with a bottle of common sense as suggested by another blogger, she needs to be questioned thoroughly.
“BAD PARENT”, even with written instructions on how to be a good mother she would have failed, miserably.
There. I’ve said it. It’s been said.
Sadly this useless piece of mother felt that in no way she was contributing to the murder statistics in Belize when she sacrificed her daughter by sending her to do errands in a city plague by crimes, murder, rape and abuse. A lone child in the city any time of day in Belize City is a crime waiting to happen, any decent mother would have known this, therefore I have no sympathy for this mother, the child is safe now.
Why mothers in Belize continue to victimize their children by being terrible role models is beyond my comprehension. First post read early Thursday morning and my interest is purely forensic. In hindsight, the only thing shocking about this latest murder was how inevitable it now seems; another innocent child torn between two lives, mother here, father there, I see a pattern. Who killed this girl? Without an actual “eye witness” this case will become dust magnet once again.
BELIZE POLICE WILL FIND THE KILLER………
Then upon conviction……..SEND THEM TO THE PRISON FARM………..4 LIFE.
THERE THEY CAN EARN THEIR KEEP AND PROVIDE FOR THE REST OF SOCIETY…….at no cost to tax payers.
May she REST IN PEACE…………
What is wrong with my people?Come on my Belizean mothers and fathers.I don’t know if this kid had access to a computer however with this Facebook era we need to know which sites these kids go to and also who they’re chatting to online.
poor child….this is not good. makes you wonder what that mother really sent out her daughter to do….i’d question everybody. I hope she gets as much focus as those poor kids in PG
“Facebook” is a social utility that connects people, but what does it have to do with this innocent child’s murder? That is another issue, really.
So sad…may she rest in peace.
Negligent mother, she should be charged for child neglect and abuse. There is no excuse for a mom to send a twelve year old child to catch a bus at 4:30 pm or anytime for that matter to run errands so far from home, you need to have your children in sight of responsible people at all times, both boys and girls under the legal age limit require undivided attention. Let this mother pay for her crime of child neglect.
Its really sad what happen to this child. But like some other comments say ho win the world this mother sends her child at almost 5:00pm to the city. This days its already dark. Myself as an adult Im scared to be out at night alone in this streets. Anyways by trying to blame her wont bring back the girl. To me it sounds so fishy that the body is already in an advance state of decomposition. Im no expert but geez just like two days passed if she went missing Monday & found her Wednesday. Lets see what the police will say next. May she rest in peace & her family find closure.
Vigilante asked some interesting questions BUT, seeing the recent results on the police exams, it is clear that this way of thinking does not come natural to a Police. Its time the Police dept stop employing school dropouts who can barely read and write….but that will take a review of the salary scale and….thats where U cum in Deano…!!
Charge the mother for negligence! Its like you know the fire burns, yet you tell your child, put your hand in.
Wow, what chance did the child have, put out of the security of her own home into the lions den, by her “mother” mind you. Was she in the way of her mother trying to do something wicked. Is the mother on drugs? Can she read, can she hear? The media puts it out there, telling us of all the murders going on in the city of Belize. How could she do such?
How could the body of a person (not a bush animal) be handled on a back road somewhere. Decomposed or not an autopsy should have been performed on tha child to determin the cause of death. What is wrong with our professionals these days. Our Doctors and our Police Officers are so NOT WELL TRAINED to be handling such professions in my Belize. Where did they do their internship. How can you learn from those who have never been further than their own back yard.
As for the citizens of my Belize (to whom it may concern) what are we getting out of killing another man. Who are you to make such decisions. Remember when there was no TV to watch and all the children in the neighborhood use to hang around and give stories, when we look to see our neighbors so we know they are ok. Why are we violating eash other now? Why is being the boss of evil so important? Wise up people the end is near, lets go out in peace and love just the way we came in. Lets all pray for peace together. R. I. P. Jannessa Jones.
There is something wrong with this story. Apparently the mother has changed her story twice. No one should send a 12 year old to Belize City unaccompanied. Anyone who has ever watched forensic files will tell you that a thorough investigation should include many of the aspects listed in vigilante justice’s post. Sadly our police officers are often untrained or simply dont care to do a thorough job. Often family members have to do all the investigating themselves. Even if they do find a suspect the DPPs office with its miserable percentage of actual convictions will more than likely lose the case. If by some miracle the person is caught and sent to prison, they will be out on probation in no time. In fact last year the prisoners rioted because the Bze gov lengthened the time they would have to serve before being allowed to go on probation. There is no justice in Belize..sadly.
i hope and pray its not the same killer who came back .the same one who killed the little girls some years ago.
2011 has just started and already 3 murders in our beautiful country…..whats happening to our jewel? Lets work together to prevent these Belize!
Rest in Peace Janessa Jones!
If you read channel 7 news it is stated that the Mother is giving conflicting stories. The child was found fully clothed but with cuts on her body, I hope the Police do a thorough investigation starting with the family. R.I.P. JANESSA. A young life taken away tragically.
How can a body show so much signs of decomposition to the point that the autopsy has to be done on spot when the child left home 4:30 one day and the body was found midday the following? Can anybody ascertai the time of death of this child?
i agree with sugar……in PG, they are employing some very young police who i believe are not fit for the job….some of them lack professionalism and do cannot comprehend the importance of their job…
we need to employ people who are serious about the job and are capable of working under pressure,,,, some of them dont even care….
those who are employing have to come up with a more rigid criteria..
Estradabran da bush dacta, but both administrations keep him there because he does their bidding. we need an independent Coroners Unit. this body was taken to KHMH why wasn’t the pm exam done there. to do it on the road side in the bushes is to treat this child like roadkill animal, this is unacceptable. I pray to GOD this is adressed.
I believe the report says that her body was retrieved from the sea at four and a half miles on the northern road how come her post mortem was performed on a dirt road off the Burrell Boom road this makes absolutely no sense those two locations are about fourteen miles apart, can someone explain this?
Who can do this to a little girl? Really, I mean damn.
who ever have done this shall perish…but i know didnt mean no harm…who knows when things go wrong ,,,sadly no one…cause at times we tend to not be present all the time with our child…but this tragic to me is a disaster…because she is my couzin…wow like for real why and what would cause this to happen…only god knows…and now we just have to pray for whom ever did it…we know to some it might be a bad experience for the parent…and it was a bad parenting but wow this shouldnt be happening at any rate at any point of time to a young person…wow just wo…but hey now we know a true belizean can prosper their rights while walking the narrow street of what we once thought was paradise which now seem to be a tragic outlook ……
I love you Cousin Arlene and you were never a bad parent, we jus dont know when we do wrong to our loved ones. R.I.P. baby girl. I love You.
P.S. thank god you have been chosen to his paradise now.
-Your Cousin Rodney Young
This female (can’t call her woman nor mother) knows more than she is saying…SHE and nobody else is responsible for what happened to her baby girl…this is such a shame and disgrace and she needs to be charged as she openly disclosed that she endangered her child by sending her alone into a war zone….the only worse thing she could have done was kill her herself. As a mother I am truly hurt by this because alot of people DON’T value their children!!
We can jump high and low and complain here all day long and nothing will change..we need to get serious and find a way to hold these parents responsible for what they do to our children..they are all our children!!!
May God rest her soul! Maybe she will find peace now!!
Murdering Mother??? What MISSION did her Mother had that was so important for her. How could she sacrifice her child for her so called “MISSION”. When a Mother sends their children to do something, mothers would say “I sent my child to buy at ____ Shop.” This Mother cannot say what kind of MISSION she sent her child to do at CAPITAL CRIME CITY (CCC) Belize City. Is this Mother a Drug Dealer? Who is the so called MAN IN THE HOUSE? Is there any man in the house? How can a Mother send a Child somewhere after fighting with the Girl and the Girl willingly departs to (CCC). I might sound too harsh on the Mother, but I have suspicion on the Mother! Forgive me readers, but the way SIN and Criminal Minds are in these days you as a more concious person would end up thinking that some parents sell their Children to SATAN just for the love of some money or to satisfy some criminals who are friends of the family. I am so sorry for this Little Girl. Tears fall from my eyes as I see the negligence of some parents upon their own flesh and blood. There is no pity any more. It is time for the ones wanting to do the right thing to surrender their lives to the LORD and let us prepare ourselves for the second coming of Jesus. Christian let us work harder in spreading the word of God and speed Christ coming and pick his children and let us move from this wicked world. It’s time for peace. It should be the end and let us stop suffering. Look at Haiti, another set of people who cannot change because satan has control over those people. They just suffered a terrible earthquake and the survivors are now fighting to have voodoo as their religion. Have mercy on them LORD!!! My Belizeans I urge to you to change your ways and pray. There is no other way out. Only Jesus in our lives we may have a Happy Happy Home. Blessings to all my Belizeans and respect… Peace and Love!!!
I HOPE THAT THEY SAVED THE…………….. DNA EVIDENCE……………………
YEARS LATER IT CAN CONVICT THE CRIMINAL!!!
RIP in Jannessa. I sadly feel this will just be another unsolved case on the police records. Too many things don’t add up and may be this child’s mother the last person to see her alive could fill in the gaps. Errands? where? with who? why? what? What kind of errand was so urgent that she needed to carry it out at that time in the evening on the streets of Belize.
It is my opinion that her mother should be questioned further as she may be able to assist the police to solve this case.
killings seems to be the # 1 news in Belize, just read the stats for Belize for 2011I wasn’t surprised the highest per capital in the region, but it is always heart-breaking when it is a child. My heart goes out to the people of Belize who deals with this situation on a daily basis, it is like living in a war zone, easy for us to be critical who are not there. I believe the people will have to stand up and say enough is enough and demand more from their government and be accountable, it is up to the people of the country.
Rise up pastors! the church is not dead, you and each individual is the church, It’s not an organization or a corporation. The gates of hell shall not prevail against the church! we serve a living God, the same Spirit ( power) that raised Jesus Christ from the dead lives on the inside of you! yes you can! take your city back! get mad! in His name….
Pastors unite and stop the foolishness, together you are a great force to be recognized….
Mein, another girl’s life gone like disposable paper. There’s something greater at the core of this problem. Easy to blame the mother but what happened to the village raising the child? So quick to talk about how bad the little girl might have been if she were a “bad” girl for example but never there to protect her. Of course people saw her but no one cared. Don’t you pass children on the street and on the bus and pay them no mind at all? Not too long ago, wasn’t a girl assaulted in a bus and no one did anything? This is the society we are now living in. Besides that, so many mothers send their girls out on errands or selling something for their survival. It only becomes a problem when this type of tragedy occurs. What to do? When does this all end? There are more questions than answers.
Thank goodness that God does not sleep and that mother does not look the least bit sad…fishy stink rotten indeed.