Teakettle murder suspect arrested and charged

It was the kind of killing that you’d more expect to find in an episode of “Passions” than in the bucolic village of Teakettle. Today the accused murderer met the press, and while police believe they have a strong case, the precise motive is proving difficult to understand.

Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
Belmopan police have formally charged twenty-one year old Roger Emmanuel for the brutal killing of forty-three year old U.S. National Peter Phillips. At the time of the homicide, Phillips was a teacher at Belize Christian Academy but for the summer break was hired by Galen University to give a world history class to its students. But after two weeks on the job he was killed while watching the house of a friend, Joe Yeager, who lived with his family in Teakettle Village.

Sgt. Sinquest Martinez, Lead Investigator
“The motive so far that we have gathered, it could just have been a revenge.”

Jacqueline Godwin
“Revenge for?”

Sgt. Sinquest Martinez
“Of what had happened in the past with the accused and his in-laws.”

The Yeager family, who are missionaries, ran a dance school in Belmopan called Dramatic Force, but four years ago the daughter, eighteen year old Bethany Yeager became involved with a Belizean Roger Emmanuel. Joe Yeager reportedly disapproved of the relationship, but then Bethany became pregnant and the young couple got married. But sources tell News Five Emmanuel became overly possessive and that caused Bethany to leave him. Joe Yeager is believed to have helped his daughter make the move.

Then some time in early July someone attacked Joe Yeager at his residence and though the assailant was not identified, police strongly believe Emmanuel was involved. The incident caused the Yeager family to return to the United States, but before leaving the country they asked Peter Phillips to stay at the house and watch the property until they returned. Although Phillips knew that his friend had been attacked, it is believed he never thought that his life was in danger. Around five-thirty on Monday evening concerned neighbours discovered Phillip’s body at the back of the house lying at the bottom of these steps under a door and pile of lumber.

Sinquest Martinez, Lead Investigator
“He did not have any problem with the professor. He knew the professor, they met before, but like I said previously, wrong place at the wrong time and it is just unfortunate; it’s a mishap. … It could have been anybody there, would have been killed I guess at that moment.”

Police believe Phillips was lured out the house after someone knocked on the back door, but no sooner had Phillips stepped outside he was chopped to the back of the head with a machete.

Sgt. Sinquest Martinez
“All head injuries, to the back of his head and to the front of his head and he had a chop behind his head, a chop wound.”

Lead investigator and the officer in charge of Belmopan’s crimes investigation branch, Sergeant Sinquest Martinez, said there are no signs to suggest that there was a struggle. Martinez would not discuss what evidence they have against the accused; only that the information they have gathered is very crucial to the case.

Sgt. Sinquest Martinez
“He did not confess to nothing, but we have sufficient evidence that put him there.”

Emmanuel appeared in Benque Magistrates’ Court today and was remanded to Hattieville prison until his next court date on August seventeenth.