3 convicted of killing wheelchair bound relative

In court news from the Corozal District, the murder trial against three family members has ended with a guilty verdict. According to officials from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, a jury of twelve unanimously convicted Giovanni Villanueva of Murder, Sharim Baeza was found guilty of Conspiracy to Commit murder, while Javier Villanueva was found culpable of Abetment to Commit Murder. The case was heard by Justice Troadio Gonzales in Corozal’s Supreme Court and sentencing has been scheduled for October seventeenth. All three men were arrested following the July 2003 murder of Wilfrido Baeza. Baeza was found in the shower of one of the bathrooms in his Fourth Street North home with gunshot wounds to the head and back. Baeza’s death shocked the Corozal community as, following an accident the wheel chair bound man was known to keep to himself. During trial, Maria Catzim, a friend of Giovanni Villanueva, testified that after the incident, Villanueva told her that he had shot Baeza. As for a motive, we understand that the deceased had been awarded three hundred and fifty thousand dollars by the court for the loss of his leg … money that apparently his killer wanted. All three of the accused are related to Baeza: Sharim is his son while the Villanuevas are his brothers-in-law. The crown was represented in court by prosecutor Kamar Henry while attorney Oswald Twist defended the Villanueva brothers. Sharim Baeza was initially represented by Michael Peyrefitte but he withdrew from the case during trial so Baeza was recorded as undefended.