Afternoon Murder Downtown Belize City
Michael Garbutt
There has not been a murder in the City since March eighteenth when Jiovanni Saldano was killed. But this afternoon, in downtown Belize City, a young man was executed. It happened in broad daylight just before three o’clock on Albert Street. Michael Garbutt, who was deported from Los Angeles in June 2011, was smoking a cigarette when he was executed in the most vicious way. Garbutt was waiting for an aunt who is here from the United States visiting with him. The motive has not been established and family members are in shock. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
The crimson tide that washed up against the pavement outside of Dee Dee’s Restaurant this afternoon was the scene of yet another wanton act of indiscriminate bloodletting in the streets of the Old Capital. This time twenty-three year old Michael Garbutt lay mortally wounded as blood pooled around him. Reports are that the young man was standing outside of a business downstairs of his aunt’s house smoking a cigarette a few minutes before three o’clock when an unknown assailant closed in on him. Other relatives said that Garbutt, a deportee from the United States who was residing on T Street, had been assisting the family to transport luggage from their residence on Albert Street to another location when the shooting began. The lone gunman approached from behind and fired a single round hitting Garbutt in the head. When he fell to the ground near the sidewalk, the hired gun then stood over him and completed the job by firing two more rounds into his cranium. Shortly afterwards, the killer, it is alleged, fled the area by running through an alley adjacent to the restaurant. 
Police responded and processed the scene of the crime minutes later before launching an investigation into the homicide. According to Acting Police Press Officer Raphael Martinez, they are looking for an individual in connection with the incident; however, a reason for the shooting remains to be determined. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.
Up until late this evening, family members were giving statements to the police. Around six-thirty on Tuesday evening, there was another shooting in the city. Sixteen year old Chrisdale Courtnay was at home on Sibun Street when he was shot. Courtnay reported to police that he was socializing in his yard with family members when two men, one of whom was armed, fired four shots in his direction, hitting him the right thigh. The minor was transported to the K.H.M.H. and police investigation continues.
PM Barrow, maybe you can go back to the gangs and offer to double the free money, Belizeans will be happy to give up more tax $$ for the lazy gangsters. If you keep doubling the free money every 3 months, they may stay out of trouble.
When will this senseless violence come to an end….WHEN???
Where is THE CHURCH. … and The NGOs?
THE GOVERNMENT IS OBVIOUSLY SLEEPING ON THE JOB.
he obviously did something to someone-a deportee?-culd not behave either over there or here and then “he was a good boy” don’t know who would want to do that to him….”
Belize is ridiculous, they kill my poor innocent cousin for no reason, when i heard the news yesterday i was sadden still can’t believe it “senseless killing” something needs to happened with that place
Well, this was not an accident because they meant to kill him. As well as hearing that he was a deportee can really tell you that He probably did something terribly wrong for them to come up and kill him like that. Well, what our granny use to seh, if u live by the gun, YOU WILL DIE BY THE GUN. Im not saying that Micheal Garbutt deserved it, because nobody deserves to die, especially cruel like that because I had a family member who was gunned down, shot in the head in Los Angeles by Belizean and I am BELIZEAN, so It is wrong overall. But my point is that the only way this stuff can stop is up to the people
bring back the death penalty and let GSU get at dem. dem di cry fi fairness and rights but who give dem di right to kill people big daylight senselessly, even if that kid deserved it, let the law purge the city out or else this will just get worse.
bring back the death penalty and have GSU get at dem.. gangs di cry fi rights from GSU but who give dem di right to kill people in big daylight.. bze city needs a good purge or else dis will only get worse.
A deportee gunned down and the police do not know the motive! Strange because I am not a cop and neither do I work in any branch of law enforcement but I think I can figure out why. Here is a hint!
For sure he was not an alter boy so check why he was deported from LA that will give you a good idea of his activities in Belize. Truth is no one kills anyone just like that for no reason!
Send the “shotta” TO THE PRISON FARM…aka …THE SUSTAINABLE REHABILITATION CENTER 4-life.
Catch the killer, hang him high. No mercy, no exceptions.
stop be putting the blame on the P.M n others… as a community n a nations lets concentrate on ways of how we could assist or try to asset the problem… remember its not the P.M that is out there doing the senseless shooting, he is the leader of the country is tru, but he is not GOD… let’s take a minute and focus on the other countries, what do we c????? people lets stop pointing the fingers n start takin up responsibility n help Belize be a safer place!!!!!
Rest In Peace love one…….just to let everyone know, I knew him personally and he was a good kid. His reason for deportation is really non of ur buisness, but for fyi….he didn’t do nothing wrong, just kept his mouth closed and got time for someone else’s crime…n the states if u brake the law u get deported. To tell the truth I dont think no one deserve to die on street in such a manner. Never!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Remember Only God Can Judge Us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!May the Lord Have Mercy for Us All!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
we need HANGING very soon or else this will turn into a daily situation country wide. PM we want death by HANGING urgent too. shhhh PM don’t tell Human Right cause they’ll try stop it.
Trapp… I agree with you. until and unless people are held responsible for their actions, no Politician or human government for that matter will be able to stop this senseless violence that continues unabated. I don’t know what he did but, it looks like the killer believed that he had the right to take the law into his own hands and handle that matter execution style.
It speaks to how far we have deteriorated as a society.
Only GOD himself can bring an end to this heartless condition.
Just because he was a deportee does not mean anything! The fact the you people would even type that on the world wide web really disguist me! This mans life was brutally taken from him by another man and the Garbutt family is mourning over his death… THAT IS ALL THAT MATTERS and that is all you people should comment about since you feel the need to! Who are you all to judge? Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future! R.I.P Mikey I love you so much bro
this is y i dont want to go back to belize people the dead like that and dean barrow no the do nothing about it
I read on another news channel that all this took place infront of his familys home and some family members was actually present, WOW! His body laid under his familys verandah, How sad is this? A lot of senseless murders and different crimes have happened in Belize and many have brought tears to my eyes, but this one is just so sad. Sad, sad,sad, no one deserves this, especially the way it happened, broad daylight, and after he was shot once, the shooter stood over him and made sure he finished the job, and then on top it all, he got away on foot. If this in not crazy, I DO NOT KNOW, I hope and pray that no other family may never have to go throw what this family witnessed and is experiencing. To the killer, you can run but you cannot hide, live in fear while you are free, because they will catch you.
No matter what Michael did that does NOT give the killer the right to shoot him and kill him like that in front of his family I don’t know how a person would be able to even live with that knowing they have. Done something so crucial whoever the killer is you are a MONSTER & I hope they find you and No I don’t believe they should kill you because. Two wrongs don’t make a right may Michael R.I.P & his family is in my prayers sorry you guys had to see something soo. Tragic.& HORRIBLE
To the family I say only God could change what is going on in Belize I hate to call it my home.