Another night, another murder in Bz City

For the third time in less than a week, Belize City homicide detectives have a murder on their hands. And while cops aren’t connecting the crimes, tonight speculation on the street is that the latest killing is related to Monday night’s murder.

Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
Just before seven on Wednesday, twenty-seven year old Jerry Smart was shot seven times as he stood on Cemetery Road. The incident occurred a short distance away from Smart’s home on Fuller’s Alley. According to Leonard Myers, he had just finished talking to his nephew when he heard a hail of gunfire.

Leonard Myers, Uncle of murder victim
“Just after me and Jerry went to buy Lotto, about a minute after that I came inside to drink a glass of water, I told him that I was going to drink a glass ah water. and before I finished drinking the water, I hear about eighteen shots fired, and when we came out, we saw him lying on the ground out there.”

Investigators believe Smart was killed by two young men seen on separate bicycles. Police suspect the shooters were both armed as they rode contrary to the flow of traffic and took aim at the victim.

Supt. Aaron Guzman, Commander, C.I.B., Belize City
“He had three obvious wounds to the back and he had several other wounds different parts of the body, including his right elbow, his right arm and his right inner thigh. When the police responded, a second person was brought to the Karl Heusner, one Mr. Lopez, Julio Lopez, who was passing the same area when this shooting occurred and he was injured in the left ankle. I believe today he was released from the hospital. We did recover some seven expended shells from the crime scene.”

Jacqueline Godwin
“Why would anybody want to kill him?”

Leonard Myers
“Well, Jerry wasn’t in argument with nobody. As far as I know, I came here from Friday and he was all the time along with me, working on the house.”

And while cops are conducting the official investigation, the Smart family has been receiving a number of reports as to why their loved one was gunned down. One of those theories involves the recent murder of notorious former gang leader George “Junie Balls’ Mckenzie. Myers says only two days ago Smart told him that he had been threatened.

Leonard Myers
“As far as news and messages come to us saying like, it’s all start from the thing from over on Majestic Alley with ‘Balls’ and them, because Jerry used to be a bloods and he was hanging along with George Street for a long while and he cool off so then I believe that’s why.”

Jacqueline Godwin
“So you all believe it may be connected?”

Leonard Myers
“Yea, that’s definitely connected because couple days ago he told me hat somebody from ghost town came by in a vehicle and told him that they are coming back for him, that was Tuesday.”

Sr. Supt. Chest Williams, Deputy Commander, Eastern Division
“No, from the investigation so far there is no connection between the two incidents. We believe that Jermaine Smart one is isolated from the George McKenzie murder.”

Belize City police say they are looking at this latest homicide from all angles and are searching for the two suspects.

Leonard Myers
“Well, I don’t know who is the suspect but we ourself is looking for this suspect too, for real. So I have nothing more to say on that because then, I don’t know who did it right.”

While Jerry Smart’s killers are still at large, today Belize City police escorted twenty year old Edward Lord to Magistrates Court where he was formally charged with the murder of thirty-three year old George ‘Junie Balls’ Mckenzie. Lord had been on the run since the Monday night killing but turned himself into authorities this morning in the company of his attorney.

Supt. Aaron Guzman
“Today at nine forty-five a.m., Edward Emanuel Lord was brought in by his attorney, Mr. Ellis Arnold, and he was formally arrested and charged for the murder of George McKenzie. The investigation right now, based on the evidence we have gathered pointed to Mr. Lord. However as I told you before, his attorney brought him in and he was cautioned and he remained silent. So from him, we have not received anything and I would not like to speculate at this time, openly what we believe to be the motive.”

Sr. Supt. Chest Williams
“Yes, we expect retaliation, but it is our responsibility to ensure that there is none. And I can assure the public that we will be doing what is necessary in order to prevent any further retaliations.”

Meanwhile, if you have any information that can help police capture the duo responsible for the murder of Jerry Smart call the nearest police station or Crime Stoppers at 0 – 800 – 922 – 8477.

According to our records, the murder of Jerry Smart is the fifty-ninth of the year.