Murdered by Arson in Roaring Creek

Dean Bennett

Earlier on Sunday in the west, a Roaring Creek man was killed and his house was set on fire. Dean Bennett was asleep in his house when someone doused a corner of the building with fuel and set it ablaze. But the family believes that he may have been injured prior to the fire. Reports are that a man was seen was seen fleeing the scene via a back fence as the house went up in flames. Belmopan Police are ruling this latest killing as Arson and Murder. News Five’s Andrea Polanco headed to Roaring Creek and reports on the murder.

Andrea Polanco, Reporting

It was among this charred rubble where the remains of the badly burnt body of thirty two year old Dean Bennett was discovered. The remnants of the fire once stood as an eight by eight zinc and wooden structure, where Bennett lived. On Saturday night, he was partying in the village when he got into a small fight. He was last seen alive by his family shortly before twelve that night, when he was heading home to sleep. But around two on Sunday morning, residents in the ‘Another World’ Area in Roaring Creek saw Bennett’s living quarters engulfed in flames. Upon their arrival on the scene, the family discovered the house ablaze and the doors were chained and locked from outside:

Janet Valencia, Cousin of the Deceased

“One of our neighbors see the fire and thing and shout for his brothers them and dah suh we get fi find out and went behind there; and there he was burning.”

Andrea Polanco

“He was still inside the house at that time?”

Janet Valencia

“Yes ma’am.”

Andrea Polanco

“Did any neighbors hear any screams; any shout for help?”

Janet Valencia

“Well, nobody hear anything, no noise, no nothing. When we went back there, he had a chain that he usually locks the pad-lock when he comes out. Suh when we went back there and try to open the door, the door was bolt with the chain and padlock; and he couldn’t have done that if he was inside.”

Janet Valencia

Bennet was alone inside; burnt almost beyond recognition:

Janet Valencia

“When we found my cousin on Sunday morning, like he was sitting; his feet were down and his back was leaning towards the bed, with his head on the bed. That is how he got burnt like when the fire was burning, like he was trying to come out but because of the torturing and thing, like he didn’t have the strength to get up. And his two feet were already burnt off to his knees and his hands they were already burnt off too.”

Andrea Polanco

“So just a small portion of him; basically the mid-section of his body remained on the scene?”

Janet Valencia

“Yes ma’m, Just a small portion of him; he shrinked, small, small.”

Bennett’s family is speculating that he may have been tortured or even killed, before the house was set on fire:

Janet Valencia

“But before they burned him, it looked like they already tortured him and killed him before they burn him in the house.”

Andrea Polanco

“Okay. Why would you say that?”

Janet Valencia

“Well, because blood was on one of the zincs and actually, my uncle went to the morgue yesterday and he said that it looks like they stabbed him in his side.”

But in the last couple years, Dean Bennett and his brothers have been targeted:

Janet Valencia

“The first one, his family was in there, they caught it fire, we end up out it; he come out and they end up shooting him and he died from bullet shots. The second two, Dane and Clifford, lived in the same house with their family. His wife smelled the fire and got up. They had to haul Dane out of the house too because he was already inhaling the smoke and it got him dizzy already. Now, they catch it on fire again, one end up gone. So it’s something that they were trying to do long time.”

The family says that Bennett was easy going and they simply can’t understand why he was killed:

Janet Valencia

“Dean was someone that didn’t fool with any one. He used to help everybody, then. Everybody used to send him out, he goes and he comes back. We didn’t expect this was going to happen to him because he is a helpful person. It doesn’t matter, what you asked him to do, he will do it.”

Andrea Polanco

“Did he have any problems with anybody, maybe recently?”

Janet Valencia

“Well, no. He is not a problem person as we know.”

This grieving family hopes Bennett’s killer will be dealt with by the law:

Janet Valencia

“The last time, we didn’t get no justice, no nothing. Suh I hope, they tek fi we loved one this time, suh I pray that we get justice now. God nuh di sleep and we wah know that dah the same person do it the first time.”

Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.

According to the family, the structure was completely destroyed by the time fire-fighters arrived. A bucket brigade of villagers attempted to extinguish the flames, but was unsuccessful. All the contents of the home were destroyed.