… Police deny charge and continue to look for motive
News Five sources have identified sixteen year old Kareem Francis aka “Yankee” as the young man charged with the murder of fifteen year old Jomo Lamb. This afternoon Head of Crimes Investigation Branch, Superintendent Chester Williams refused to confirm the identity of the accused and would only say that their suspect had been picked up two hours after the homicide. Williams maintains that the shooter was a passenger in a car with heavily tinted windows that pulled up on Lamb from behind. In a brief press conference at the Queen Street police station, investigators say a clear motive has yet to be established.
Supt. Chester Williams, Head, C.I.B.
“At this time we have not arrived at a conclusive motive. We are looking at many possibilities, so I do not want to speculate or go down on record to be speculating as to what is the motive and later on that motive turn out to not be the real motive. So I will not say at this time what the motive is.”
“From our investigation, the murder last night has no connection to the shooting which occurred on Monday night involving the Trapps. It is an isolated incident, so I will not say that there is any relation between both incidents.”
“Whenever anyone is killed on the streets the police have to become concerned because each and every person, by the constitution, is entitled to life and no on has the right to take away life from another person. So we are concerned and as a result of that, Mr. Jefferies is organising a meeting in the Yabra area with parents. We are trying to bring them together to see how we could discuss and come up with a solution to try and bring this problem to an end.”
The police have yet to recover the murder weapon described only as a black handgun. This evening, Kareem Francis was escorted to Family Court where he was arraigned on the charge of murder. The case has been adjourned until May fifteenth.
During this afternoon’s press briefing, Superintendent Chester Williams also responded to the allegations made by Lisa Matura and her family concerning the police raid that was conducted at their Arlington Drive home. Williams says the Criminal Investigation Branch officers were armed with a search warrant to follow up on a shooting incident and not the murder of Jomo Lamb.
Supt. Chester Williams
“Basically this morning the police officers, as a follow-up investigation to the incidents of shooting in the Southside of Belize City, many young persons have been implicated and as a result of that, the police are going at residences to conduct search. The officers this morning took along a search warrant to search for firearm and drugs and I must say that we have visited the area after the complaint was received and ironically the entire neighbourhood did not hear any shots being fired within that particular area and the roof that the lady claim had a hole—and I am certain that is not a bullet hole but rather a hole that has been there for quite some time now, and more than one hole is on the roof. So I will, from the police perspective I will totally refute that report made by that lady and I somewhat believe they are just trying to find a way to somewhat cover up what they may be involved in.”
“I did not see any damage property, any damaged household items, apart from the fact that the police had to use certain force because of the way they were acting. I do not see any wrongdoing on the part of the police officers. Our Internal Affairs is investigating much deeper into the report.”
“The fact that they went to the media will not discourage the police effort from doing what we are doing because if you look at it right now, the trend, it is the same fifteen year olds who are out there on the streets running around with firearms committing crimes. So we need to be hard on them and if it takes going to their home, we will do that.”
According to Williams, the fifteen year old minor is still detained and will remain in police custody pending the outcome of their investigation.
In other police news, investigators continue to ask for the public’s assistance in the murders of Albert Castillo and Earl Figueroa. The men were killed in separate incidents between Friday night and Saturday morning in Belize City. Police say they have been getting some information on both homicides but not enough to make an arrest. If you have any information, please call the nearest police station or Crime Stoppers at 0-800-922-8477.
