Killer leads police to murder victim’s corpse

The year’s thirty-fifth murder was committed over the weekend in the Stann Creek Valley. Today police say the perpetrator took them to the scene of the crime, which is where we tonight find News Five’s Marion Ali.

Marion Ali, Reporting
The murder may have happened in the quiet rural community of Hope Creek, eight miles outside of Dangriga, but it possessed as much savagery as any shooting in the city. In this four feet deep ditch dug out as a septic tank and covered with sand and leaves, police found the body of twenty year old Mark Young, an employee of Marie Sharp Fine Foods on the Melinda Road.

Young was reported missing on Sunday, two days after he had left home for work and did not return. But numerous reports that he was spotted in the company of another villager led police to their prime suspect.

Marion Ali
“Eyewitnesses tell News Five the accused, Shane Juarez, and the deceased, Mark Young, were seen leaving this establishment, RZ’s Turf, a bar in Hope Creek Village between ten-thirty and eleven o’clock last Friday night. That was the last time Young would be seen alive.”

Emeline Arnold, Mother of Murder Victim
“Di bwai weh ih work wid da Marie Sharp seh he ahn Mark mi deh by di bar ahn Mark tell ah dat ih gwayn ahn ih di kohn bak right now soh ih wahn lef six dalaz mek ih buy two moa beer ahn ih lef wid Shane but ih neva did reach bak.”

Supt. Russel Blackett, Officer Commanding Dangriga Police Station
“He was the last person the deceased was seen alive with on Friday night, he was the last person. He was questioned and the story just did not add up. He agreed that yes he was along with Mr. Young but that Mr. Young had turned back towards the bar that he met him. We went over all the investigations, all the turn-arounds and we found that he was lying. Eventually, this morning about ten a.m. he decided that he would take us to the area where he had buried the deceased, Mr. Young. He then took us to his grandmother’s residence. He showed us a six by eight, what seems to be a sewerage way that was dug up; septic tank, four feet in depth. Inside that we saw dirt, some cement blocks where we found the body. We began clearing the dirt and under the dirt we found the body of Mark Young.”

Because the two men are not known friends, police feel that Juarez might have lured Young to his house where he attacked him in the backyard.

Supt. Russel Blackett
“What happened, Mr. Young went to the bar after work with another co-worker. Whilst at the bar, Mr. Juarez came in and spoke to him briefly from where Young got up and told his friend that he will be coming back shortly and left. That would be about some time after eight in the night. So he left along with Juarez, we know that for a fact, and he did not return.”

Police have recovered a small machete and a blood-spattered piece of board from the crime scene which might have been used in the killing. Their strong suspicion is that robbery was the motive.

Supt. Russel Blackett
“When they moved the first layer of dirt off him I noticed one of his pockets was turned out.”

Emeline Arnold
“Hihn just kill my son fi ih moni kaaz da Friday da mi ih payday. So dats aal I kuh tink bowt and my son kyaahn beat Shane bikaa Shane biga dan my son. My son smaal. I noh know wat else tek place.”

The murder has left the small community and police at a loss.

Supt. Russel Blackett
“It’s so gruesome, I wouldn’t say in the backyard, it’s right on the highway—just off the highway.”

Marion Ali
“In his backyard.”

Supt. Russel Blackett
“Exactly, in his backyard. He slept with that since Friday night; he slept in the same house.”

Emeline Arnold
“I personally ask Shane weh ih du wid Mark, wich paa Mark deh ahn ih seh ih noh know. Ih seh dehn lef fahn di bar but Mark turn bak. I noh know weh ih du until now and I hope ih neva kohn owta jail.”

Reporting from the Stann Creek Valley, Marion Ali for News Five.

A post mortem this afternoon certified that Young died from trauma to the head caused by a blunt object. It was also revealed that no money was found on him, only a knapsack Young carried to work, in which he kept his lunch kit and work knife. Police nabbed Juarez in Hope Creek Village on Tuesday, after he had returned from trips to Belize City and Independence. They have also detained a friend of Juarez and are looking for another whom they feel can enlighten them about the incident.