Body of missing U.S. National found

Aside from the three homicides, a fourth person was found dead in Belize City. Up to news time, Police were unable to confirm whether or not the US National was murdered. News Five’s Jose Sanchez has a report.

The body of an American national was found this afternoon in a bushy ditch on Louise Bevans Street, in the Jane Usher Boulevard Area. Robert Maurice Jones went missing on Saturday night after he left a party at a house he once lived. Neighbors are shocked at the discovery of Jones’ body.

Margaret Vasquez, Friend of Deceased
“He’s from the United States, they came down here right, and his wife and they had problems with the law. He stayed here and since Saturday he was out there with his common law wife, and she said he missed her. The Sunday ih noh come home, the Monday we di look into it. She gone and report it and this morning the police they come and they see the man and find ahn down deh.”

According to a friend, Jones came to the country with his wife Tammy in January, but the couple found themselves arrested on January second, after a weapon was found in his mobile home.

Roy Latchman Junior, Friend of Deceased
“He came from Minnesota with his wife Tammy Lee Jones. They brought licensed firearms, but they had a misunderstanding at the border because no immigration officer or custom officer was there. Well that’s what I heard.”

Jose Sanchez
“So he brought over weapons that he didn’t have papers for? What happened?”

Roy Latchman Junior
“He had papers for them, but his trailer caught on fire and when his trailer caught on fire, it burned up the temporary permits from Mexico so that he could have passed through Mexico with the firearms so that ih coulda come into Belize with it. When the thing ketch pan fire, ih gone dah station and ih couldn’t ah mi produce the papers fi di firearms and so they hold they inna custody and mek deh gone dah jail fi wahn certain amount ah time. And my pa bail they off and after the bail, like two or three days after Mister Robert Maurice Jones wife died in the hospital, K.H.M.H., cause ih mi need blood and ioh couldn’t ah mi get blood and from hepatitis B.”

Jose Sanchez
“How many times have you walked up and down this street and not realize there was a body?”

Margaret Vasquez
“Not until this morning. But I smelled, but I smelled the scent right. But you know usually dead dog and thing deh around the place so I neva pay it no mine. But when the police they come and seh a body deh down there and I run out from the kitchen there and I gone see, I see the feet and that it was white and I said oh god, that is Mister Robert.”

Roy Latchman Junior
“Saturday night, everybody mi deh the drink and after carnival, he seh dat he mi gwen out by belikin fest or something like that dah the park. So he gone by ihself or I no sure if ih gone by ihself, but dat dah weh I hear.”

Jose Sanchez
“But you said also that he was having thoughts of ending his own life. Why is that?”

Roy Latchman Junior
“Well because of the case coming up and he noh know if he gwen dah jail or not because of the firearms weh ih bring in dah Belize City and nobody neva deh fi approve dat ih come in so dat ih could have it and make everybody know dat ih license and no get inna know trouble fi and thing.”

Margaret Vasquez
“Maybe robbery, sir, maybe. Maybe it was robbery.”

They came to Belize to seek a new life, but tragically, death found Robert Maurice and Tammy Lee Jones before the year’s end. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.

An on site post mortem examination was conducted on Jones’ body which showed no signs of injury. The result of the exam is inconclusive because of the body’s advanced state of decomposition.