There is more information tonight about Friday evening's senseless bludgeoning of Chinese businesswoman Chi Hua Qu at her store in the Belama Phase 2 area.
We say senseless because the motive wasn't robbery but rather police now say Qu was stabbed to death because she told the accused murder Earl Bowden who was allegedly drunk and disorderly to leave her store. He took offense and witnesses say he pulled out a knife and issued a single and fatal stab wound to Chi Hua Qu's chest.
The incident was witnessed by her son Wang Xuan who today told us that when it started to rain he was the first to tell Earl Bowden and his friends to leave 168 Shopping Center. Wang Xuan says that's when his mother stepped in to meet her death.
Wang Xuan, Victim's Son
"Friday around 5 o'clock some guys were drinking beer. They were giving trouble so I asked them to go and he then took out a knife and slapped me in my face with it. [Pause] My mom then told him to leave the store and he took the knife and stabbed her. I saw the boy kill my mom and then he ran."
A post mortem conducted today revealed that the single stab wound to Chi Hua Qu punctured her lung. Qu and her husband have been in Belize for three years.
As for the accused murderer, Earl Bowden well he was arraigned in court today on a charge of murder. He was denied bail and is on remand at the Hattieville Prison.