The death of a man who was found on the western highway in the village of Roaring Creek in the Cayo district was originally reported as a fatal road traffic accident. It turns out however that the death of 24-year-old Sherman Herrera was anything but an accident. The resident of teakettle was found on Sunday morning lying on the side of the western highway in Roaring Creek village, presumably the victim of a traffic fatality but a post mortem on the body has certified that police needed to look at the case as murder. I followed up on the story today.
Alfonso Noble Reporting,
The bloodstained shoulder of the Western highway marks the spot where Sherman Herrera was found sometime around 2:30 on Sunday morning. Initial reports had it that Herrera who is a deaf mute had been killed in a road traffic accident.
Sinquest Martinez, Investigator
"First I thought it was a RTA but it was not. After the conclusion of the post mortem and viewing the body, it turned out to be a murder."
Family Member,
"We suspected foul play at the first instance because they were saying he fell from a moving vehicle but the injuries that he had they were not consistent with anybody falling from a moving vehicle. They were no multiple abrasions or nothing, he was suffering from a massive head wound to the back of the head and clearly at the scene he was placed there."
Belmopan police investigators have arrived at that very conclusion as a post mortem conducted on Herrera has certified that the injuries he sustained are not consistent with those of a traffic accident.
Sinquest Martinez,
"Where the body was found was not the actual crime scene. The way the body was seen at the crime scene I knew it was not a RTA."
Alfonso Noble,
How so?
Sinquest Martinez,
"I'm talking on my views what I've seen on the body and the post mortem results have backed up what I saw the crime scene."
Alfonso Noble,
How was the body found?
Sinquest Martinez,
"Well the body was found lying on part of the pavement on the Western Highway face up with hands out and he had a cut wound to the palm of his hand and the post mortem is saying its corresponding along with it."
Alfonso Noble,
So you believe this gentleman was killed somewhere else and brought there?
Sinquest Martinez,
"Yes exactly so. We have someone but not custody but we have someone that we are going for."
And while the police go for the person who they believe was involved in the killing, family members appeal to the public for their assistance in trying to bring those responsible to justice.
Family Member,
"What the family is doing we're appealing to the public because people saw what happened and we are appealing for them to come out and to try to help the family. I mean this is totally unfair to Sherman. He is a nice guy, a big guy, plays basketball, is a friendly fellow but he wouldn't bother anyone. That guy is a gentle giant, he is big and looks intimidating but the man can't talk, the man is simply harmless. He, for a person that doesn't talk and can't hear well, operates a heavy piece of equipment so in one way or the other he was blessed. Whoever did that to him clearly thought he could defend himself or could holler but he couldn't holler or do nothing. Sherman is not a dog and we want to see that justice prevails. The people involved we want to see them...and we know for a fact that people saw what happened. We want justice."
Police are investigating and they say they already have suspects who they intend to detain shortly.