Accused killers convicted of burglary

In court news, today two men accused of killing an elderly woman have been sentenced for a lesser crime related to her death. In July 2004, the body of seventy-three year old Mary Blondell was discovered in a shallow grave on her farm in Saint Margaret’s Village on the Hummingbird Highway. A post mortem later revealed that Blondell’s hands had been tied behind her back and in addition to several stab wounds to the chest, her throat had been slit. Police would arrest eighteen year old Rene Morentes, previously identified as Walter Lopez, and thirty-five year old Carlos Granillo, who were both employees of Blondell at the time of her death. During the subsequent murder trial, the victim’s daughter Mary Carridi and forensic pathologist Dr. Mario Estradabran took the stand. But after hearing the evidence against the two, the twelve person jury could not agree on a verdict and in the end, Justice Troadio Gonzalez was forced to declare a hung jury. The offences that did stick were aggravated burglary and burglary. Today the men appeared before Justice Gonzalez for sentencing on those charges. Both Granillo and Morentes took the stand in their defence and through a Spanish-English translator, asked the court for mercy. After considering the evidence against the men, Gonzalez sentenced Granillo to seven years imprisonment for burglary and ordered that Morentes spend the next ten years behind bars for aggravated burglary. The sentences take effect starting today. Cheryl-Lyn Branker Taitt prosecuted, while attorneys Linsbert Willis and Hubert Elrington defended the accused. We do note that because the murder case ended in a hung jury, should new evidence come to light, both men can be retried on the same charge. Mary Blondell is remembered as a feisty but lovable woman who for over three decades led the life of a trailblazing pioneer in the rugged limestone hills of central Belize.