Family pursue foul play theory
Following the police press briefing in Belize City, Estradabran, Police and Coast Guard officials headed to Ladyville where family members of the missing men gathered to hear the latest developments in the case. But it was clear that the discovery of Richard Swift has only brought more questions, not answers.
Grayson Ewing, Family of Missing
“I mean it’s up in the air, nobody could tell what happened and that is why I think it’s very important that more of the missing are found so maybe we can put the pieces of the puzzle together and come to a conclusion as to what exactly happened. There’s so many different speculations as to what could have happened, you know, and we need to be sure of what we say and not just speculate.”
Neri Briceno, Family of Missing
“Foul play seems to be the most probable thing that happened out there. And probably they were at the wrong place at the wrong time, cause I know all the men personally, I know that they are not the type of people to be involve in any kind of unlawful activities, noh. So it’s obvious that they ran up on something or somebody and it’s unfortunate what happened.”
Audrey Matura Shepherd, Family Spokesperson
“We’re so grateful that there are still people helping us, actually willing to help us, still giving of their resources and in some instances we are the ones providing fuel to them. There were like seven men who volunteered to go camp out now in the area so that they don’t come in every minute and cost us a lot of expense. So they will camp out there and then they will search during daylight hours and go back to their camp.”
Janelle Chanona
“And the search is now primarily in the south?”
Audrey Matura Shepherd
“No, we still have some up in the north because we still don’t know what really happened. And the family was working on the theory that there may have been some kind of foul play and as you heard, Dr. Estradabran says he cannot rule out foul play. Because the conclusion as to how Mr. Swift died, brings to light the other theory the family have been having all along, that these men met foul play and some of them may still be alive or even if they are not alive we will eventually find them, so we cannot give up the search for them at this point.”
Janelle Chanona
“I heard you guys asking about searching houses. You all feel that they are being held captive?”
Audrey Matura Shepherd
“You see what has been happening is that we get information that they’re been held captive. But the people who call us and tell us don’t want to say more and then they hang up the phone. We were told at one point that they were tied up together on one island, but the problem is that we understand that they’re been move from one island to the next. So if the police doesn’t have proper intelligence, if they don’t have the manpower to go quickly and respond, how can they keep track of where these people are been moved? If one day they are on Tobacco Caye and they move along to another caye, they are taken along to another caye, how could they find out? So we are asking them now, put more manpower out, have your police officers stop vessels and question them, any activity, just question because there’s a possibility that they are still alive. Go to these houses, search them. There are some suspicious houses out there.”
Janelle Chanona
“But to what end would they be held captive? Wouldn’t you have gotten a ransom demand yet?”
Audrey Matura Shepherd
“No, we don’t think that it’s for ransom. We think they may have stumble on to something illegal or seen something and they were actually in the way. We just think that it’s something that they were at the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Janelle Chanona
“If they did see something and they are been moved around, isn’t the possibility then that they would have been murdered stronger than they are…”
Audrey Matura Shepherd
“Yes, yes we believe that they will all be eventually murdered, we believe that. I don’t think, because it’s seven men and maybe they didn’t realise its seven well-known men that they would risk killing all at the same time. I think we’ll just get the clues floating out one by one.”
