Police have responded to the third murder of what has been a very violent week.
Yesterday evening on the outskirts of Orange Walk Town, police found the gunshot riddled body of 31 year old Ernest McPherson and today Alfonso Noble went north looking for answers to the very violent death.
Alfonso Noble Reporting, [from Orange Walk Town]
Bloodstains are still visible where the body of 31 year old Ernest McPherson was found yesterday evening when police were called to the scene at mile 51 on the Northern Highway. Officer Commanding Orange Walk Police Mario Vernon says that McPherson's body bore a number of gunshot wounds.
Supt. Mario Vernon, Orange Walk Police
"Yesterday at about 6:30 we got an information by way of the Belize City control room and it came out as if it was a road traffic accident. A vehicle was seen at the side of the road just above the mile 51 post and a body was nearby off shoulder. A police visited that location and yes indeed there was a red Chevrolet pickup truck parked off the road. And the engine was still on and the bonnet (sic) was half way up and just about 6 to 8 feet away on the grass there was the body of a man lying face downwards. The passenger door on that side was also opened."
"There were obvious gunshot wounds to the body. There was one to the temple that exited; one to the left temple that exited to the right temple. There was one to the throat, there was one to the upper right side of the back, there were two to the abdomen area and one nearby the private area."
The reason for McPherson's apparent execution is still unclear to the police and it's even more so for his common law wife of the past 4 years. Sherlett Belisle says she is clueless as to why her husband was killed and today she stood at the police station hoping for answers and remembering his last conversation they shared yesterday afternoon.
Sherlett Belisle, Murder Victim's Girlfriend
[Sobbing] "He called and said not to worry because I'll soon come home. I asked Indian where are you and said not to worry just take care of my baby for me and I'll be there for the delivery and I'll soon see you. Everyday he called until yesterday and he called and said he will come home. Last night after sun set two policemen showed up at my house and said that Ernest McPherson died; they killed him."
[Crying] "He told me he would be coming home and told me to make a grocery list and send it on the plane and he would have picked it up. I don't what he was coming to do here or with whom…"
While she's searching for answers the police have begun to piece together the circumstances surrounding McPherson's murder. They are beginning with the checkered past he's had.
Supt. Mario Vernon,
"The history of this man is very suspect. He has been involved in illegal activities and it is something that we know and we have two people at this time that we are looking for. I suspect very much at this time that he was just a passenger and he may have been killed by the driver."
Alfonso Noble,
"So one person did the shooting?"
Supt. Mario Vernon,
"As far as we know so far yes but there should have been another one to assist that driver in getting away; another vehicle."
And now the police are looking for that other vehicle and the two persons believed to have made their escape in it after McPherson's killing.
As noted in the story, police are examining old intelligence reports to get a clearer picture of McPherson's past.