Son allegedly kills father

Gumercindo Meza Sr.

The other murder is an unusual case of suspected patricide which is rocking residents of Dominguez Layout in Corozal Town. Early Sunday morning, a fifteen year old minor discovered the bloody body of his father whom he had left at home drinking with his elder brother several hours earlier. While Gumercindo Meza Jr. has since been detained for questioning, details of his father’s gruesome murder are still unclear. The minor, who alerted police of the discovery, reported that he found his father lying face up on the floor with a single puncture near the stomach.  His older brother, Meza Jr., was nowhere to be found. Despite physical evidence that there was a struggle between father and son, it is unclear what may have triggered the fatal stabbing.

Superintendent Miguel Guzman, O.C., Corozal Police

Miguel Guzman

“Sometime around twelve-thirty a.m. on the thirteenth of February 2011, that would be Sunday, police acting on information received visited the residence of Gumercindo Meza situated in [the] Dominguez Layout area, Corozal Town whereupon arrival saw the motionless body identified as that to be of Gumercindo Meza Sr., sixty years [old], Belizean laborer of said address that was lying face up on the living room floor with what appeared to be a single stab wound to the abdominal region.  Initial investigations revealed from his fifteen year old minor, who is also his son, is that sometime around seven p.m. on the twelfth of February, 2011 he had left his residence leaving his father Gumercindo Meza Sr. socializing with his older brother Gumercindo Meza Jr. and on his return at about 12 a.m. he found the house door was wide open and his father was lying motionless.  Subsequently, he called the police.  Police responded to the report where upon arrival they recovered one stainless steel knife with [a] black handle inside the house measuring ten inches in length.  The body of Gumercindo Meza Sr. was then transported to the Corozal Community Hospital where on arrival Doctor Pablo Lastrep pronounced him dead on arrival.  The body now lies at the morgue awaiting a post mortem examination.  So far we have detained Gumercindo Meza Jr. who is twenty-four years of age, Belizean laborer of Dominguez Layout, Corozal Town and the investigation into this matter continues.”

It is known at this point, whether the father and son had a previous history of misunderstandings with each other.  Gumercindo Meza Jr. was the last to be seen with his father, but there are no eyewitnesses to the fatal stabbing. Up to news time he had not been charged with murder.