Western Pines murder by axe

There is a murder to report tonight…it is the third for the month of June and it happened at the eight miles community of Western Pines off the George Price Highway. Sometime around eight-twenty a.m., Hattieville Police were called out to a house under construction where the body of twenty-four year old Elias Santos was discovered inside the bathroom. There were several cut wounds to the head believed to have been inflicted with an axe that was discovered in close proximity to the body. It is not known what could have triggered the murder, but it is known that the mason and watchman from Stann Creek had just relocated to Belize City for employment only two weeks ago. He was last seen alive by his employer on Saturday evening. It is believed that Santos was sitting on a cement block laying down tiles inside the bathroom, when he was hacked to death.  Santos’ body was discovered by coworkers.

ASP Calbert Flowers, Acting Rural Executive Officer, Police Department

Calbert Flowers

“Acting upon information received, Hattieville Police visited a house which is under construction in the Western Pines Area on the Western Highway where upon arrival, they saw the apparent lifeless body of a male person lying face up in the bathroom area of the house. The body was examined where it was observed that it had several cut wounds to the head area. The body was later identified as Elias Santos, a twenty-four year old male who resides in Bella Vista Village in the Stann Creek District. Investigations so far reveal that Santos was employed with a construction company who was doing some work in the area up until the time of his death.   The body was apparently discovered by his coworkers who reported to work this morning. They called the police and reported that their coworker was dead.”

Reporter

“Sir how long was that body there? Because I know that all of them had to go to work until this morning, was he staying in that house where he was killed?”

ASP Calbert Flowers

“Elias was employed as a mason and also he was a watchman for that house that was under construction. So he was staying there alone in that house.”

Reporter

“Are the police able to tell us when is the last time he was seen alive?”

ASP Calbert Flowers

“He was last seen alive by his boss on Saturday around five o’clock p.m., Saturday evening.  A doctor has visited the scene and the time of death has not yet been determined. We are awaiting the post mortem which will reveal the time of death for us.  A weapon was discovered in the area that we believe may have caused the wound. Again we are awaiting the post mortem result to confirm all this information. The weapon that was retrieve from the area was an axe.”

Duane Moody

“So he was hacked to death?”

ASP Calbert Flowers

“We believe that that axe may have been the weapon that caused those injuries, however, the post mortem will confirm all this information for us.”

A post mortem later this week will determine the time of death…but investigations continue.