Commissioner of Police Gerald Westby is just back home after attending a conference of commissioners of police from the Caribbean in Trinidad. He returned to publicly address three killings in Belize City in less than a week - most tragically, the shooting death of 14-year-old Randy Conorquie. Today Commissioner Westby expressed his condolences to the family of the 14 year old, while CIB boss, Superintendent Chester Williams explained the details of the matter and dispelled the version of events that accused killer Leonard Myers gave us yesterday.
Gerald Westby, Commissioner of Police
"Certainly we are concerned about the murders in Belize City and I want to reassure you that the police will continue to vigorously pursue those that do not want to live within the law. If that is the way they want it then the police will becoming down hard. And I must publicly apologize for the death of the fourteen year old. Certainly that is a really tragic loss for the family and I must publicly apologize."
Supt. Chester Williams, CIB Commander
"The fourteen year old was not the intended victim and that is what makes it even disturbing to us the police. It is very hurtful to us because we are family people likewise and we wouldn't want any member of our family to be caught by stray bullets and the intended target was with the fourteen year old but he spotted the gunmen before the fourteen year old and he managed to run away.
The person went, the suspect Leonard Meyers did not know who exactly he was looking for and when the fourteen year old went to the back of the building, he opened fire on the person, subsequently causing the person's death.
It is very ironic to see how two gallons would disappear from a crime scene. If he said he was carrying two gallons to purchase gasoline, tow gallons are very obvious, and most naturally if he was carrying two gallons on a bicycle, we would have found the bicycle and the gallons from the crime scene.
And another thing, as part of his strategy to try and divert our investigation, he will not admit that he carrying a nine millimeter pistol because we recovered that. So he wants to say he was carrying a 38 but the 9 millimeter pistol was found right where he was found so we are convinced that he is the gunman, including the mask that he was wearing, it was also found.
I personally yesterday went to the hospital and I sat for about fifteen minutes speaking to Leonard Meyers, asking him if he wanted to give a statement. I cannot force him, it is his constitutional rights under our laws to volunteer any statement but he refused to give the police any statement at all."
