Murder acquittal over 3 years in the making
While the suspects in that robbery case await their day in court, suspects in a three year old murder case spent their final day before a judge in the Belmopan Supreme Court today. The case ended with an acquittal before it could go to the jury. Twenty-two year old Eric Hernandez and twenty-three year old Roni Badillo were accused in the January 2009 murder of Belizario Eck Junior, who was fatally shot during a robbery in San Ignacio. During trial today, Belizario Eck Senior, the crown’s main witness, testified that he was present at the time of the incident and saw when Hernandez shot his son. But Justice Denis Hanomansingh rejected the identification. Senior Crown Counsel for the DPP’s office, Cecil Ramirez, was then depending on the two caution statements given by the accused men, but judge Hanomansingh also ruled that those were not admissible in the trial. With that, Ramirez was forced to close his case and the defense attorneys, Bernard Pitts and Sharon Pitts Robateau for Badillo as well as Ernest Staine for Martinez, both made no case submissions, which were upheld by the judge. The incident in question occurred on January third, 2009 when Eck Junior was shot once on the stomach and back during a robbery at the family business, Glady’s Store, in San Ignacio. The gunmen first held Eck Senior and his wife Lilia at gunpoint, but Eck Junior intervened and the father/son duo tried to fight off the gunmen. During the struggle, however, they were overpowered and Eck Junior was shot.
This is the reason crime rate will increase more and more in Belize even with the main witness on of the scene they just simply aquitt these killers! come on Belize so what will happen with this murder leave it without justice?????
This is so sad, to see your son being killed and the court of humans says no case to answer!!!!!! This is why Belize is being lost slowly what a disgrace to our justice system!
Barrow resign!!!!!!!!!!!!
In this case you can’t blame the PM. This blame is on the justice system that cater to criminals. When their loved ones fall victim to the criminal elements, then they will understand. Despite saying this I hope this never happens to them. But there is this thing call ‘karma’…………
Time for people’s justice. Technicalities decided by a single man doesn’t change the truth, or the necessity of these murderers to die to protect their next victim.
This man was making his living in his business, his son killed in their business by one of these two heartless criminala and they walk. This father watched these men kill his son for goodness sake and this man got no justce.
Keep your eyes on these two they have been handed a license to kill and guess what they will, why, because they can and feel they are bigger than the system.
This is what is wrong with the law in Belize, it protects the criminals, so what insentive is there to live a crime free life. Wake up citizens, you are being set up in the worse way, you are being made hostage to the criminals.