Name changed, but man murdered at Palm Island

John Paul Fernandez

Nine hours later, there was another murder…this time in the Old Capital. It’s also the second murder to be recorded at Palm Island. In the predawn hours of Saturday morning, two friends were socializing at the Belize City club, when one was fatally shot. One suspect, who was being questioned, was subsequently released and police have no witnesses to corroborate his account of the incident.  News Five’s Isani Cayetano spoke family members of the murder victim, John Paul Fernandez.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

Thirty-two year old John Paul Fernandez, described by family and friends as jovial, fun loving and respectable, was killed on Saturday morning, presumably by someone he knew.  Fernandez was reportedly socializing at the Office Restaurant & Bar, formerly Palm Island Nightclub, in the company of forty-year-old Eduardo Torres, moments before the fatal shooting.  His uncle, Daniel Morales, was at home awaiting his return with a plate of barbecue.  He received news of the tragedy later that morning.

Daniel Morales, Uncle of Deceased

Daniel Morales

“Di man neva come home Saturday night, right, so I staat and investigate because I know ih mi heng out wid di barbecue man, ih always di deh anyway.  And so di first place I gaan dah he.  Da then he told me that he brought him to the lane here and then he went back to his house.  From then, nothing else until the police came and asked me to identify him on the camera.  And then I send dehn, mi next nephew dehn, “unu go check because di last time I sih he, he living and I noh gwein da di morgue go look for ahn.”

Fernandez was shot once to the right side of the head with a nine millimeter handgun and left for dead within the perimeter.  Recovered from the scene was a single expended shell.  A subsequent police investigation has revealed that the pair had been drinking at the establishment until sometime after three a.m. when the incident occurred.

Christopher Fernandez

Christopher Fernandez, Brother of Deceased

“I thought that my brother was at home and got drunk because he travels with a seizure that he caught.  I know he drank so when they told me the message that my brother died I thought my brother died from seizure or drunkenness and then I thought well it’s time for him to [died] and I can accept it.  But when they told me that my brother got shot at Palm Island and the last time I heard that my brother was with a man that sells barbecue and then the man dropped him at the lane and then he came to my house.  But my brother, when he comes home nobody can’t get him out unless he knows the person.”

While the sibling opted not to disclose the name of John’s acquaintance, a statement provided to the Director of Public Prosecutions this morning, by the Officer Commanding the Criminal Investigation Branch at Eastern Division, reportedly contains a single account of facts from the suspect only.

Christopher Fernandez

“They have someone held, they have the person held and they have someone that they, about two persons that [they believe] were at [the scene of the] incident, with my brother that’s three persons, with my brother and they shot him in the back of the head. From the minute they told us that he was with someone we know who, the only person ih coulda mi deh with, we know di person noh but won’t call names because the police are doing their investigation and we wish that, all I want to know is the reason why they did it and why they killed my brother.  My brother is a loving person.”

The statement given by Torres, according to the DPP, is likely to prove his innocence.  Police, on the other hand, are seeking an individual whom they believe will be able to assist in the investigation.  As a result, Torres has been released from police custody since the forty-eight-hour window during which charges should have been brought had elapsed.  That is in spite of the recovery of a nine millimeter Glock pistol with one cartridge containing fifteen live rounds of matching ammunition from Torres’ residence.

Daniel Morales

“Everybody ‘round ya know ahn as, “John pull up!” right.  He da mi wahn VIP eena dis neighbahood because he wahn rail up but ih noh wahn fight and it’s so sad.”

The case will be reviewed following the post-mortem examination.  It is anticipated that the police would have found their witness by such time. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.

The first murder at Palm Island occurred on New Year’s Day back in 2012 when Dale Tillett was shot and killed following a New Year’s Eve event at the establishment.