A man was murdered last night in Belize City and tonight his killer is in jail. That accused killer is 21-year-old Joseph Bishop, a clerk at the Treasury Department. The man he is accused of killing is 30-year-old Julian "Buff" Serrano who allegedly broke Joel Bishop's nose on Thursday, Joel is the father of the accused Joseph. Serrano was supposed to be charged today for that attack, but he was killed last night in a homicide that has all the makings of a senseless revenge killing. Keith Swift found out more.
Julia Blanco, Mother of Deceased
"It wasn't half hour since he left home when the phone rang and when I picked it up they told me they just shot Julian."
Less than half hour after he left home last night, Julia Blanco got the news last night that her son - 30-year-old Julian Casmirio Serrano, known to most as Buff, had been shot. He died shortly after at the KHMH. Sometime after 10 pm, Julian was standing with friends at the corner of Kraal Road and Guerrero Street when a man riding pass them on a bike pulled out a gun and fired several shots. Three of them hit Julian. Wounded, he ran and collapsed at the corner of Faber's and Kraal Roads.
Julia says her son's murder is as a consequence of what happened on Thursday when he got into an argument with his boss Joel Bishop and broke his nose on the work site.
Julia Blanco,
"Mr. Bishop is the head of the work and then he is underneath him and he was doing the moving around the material they work with and it looks like Mr. Bishop asked him to do something which he wasn't supposed to do and he told the man about it and they said he has an attitude of like bawl after people and it looked like he bawled after my son and my son didn't like it and he knocked him. When I heard that he knocked Mr. Bishop it wasn't surprising to me because it is something that is happening over and over and so he must have been fed up of it and that caused the problem. Thursday evening they came home and the police took him and I asked them why. They told me that he punched Mr. Bishop and so he stayed in the pisshouse until Friday, almost Friday afternoon when he got home. I told him that like he has already gotten into problem to stay home and just don't go anywhere."
He stayed home until yesterday evening when he left to run an errand. That's when he was shot. His mother believes the motive was revenge.
Julia Blanco,
"They told me that it is Mr. Bishop's son who did the shooting so I don't know if it is revenge he is taking out on my son for punching his father."
Both Julian "Buff" Casmirio Serrano and the man's whose nose he broke worked for Port Loyola Area Representative Anthony "Boots" Martinez. Bishop's 21-year-old son Joseph has been charged for the murder. Today Boots declined to speak to us about the allegations that the murder was sparked by an argument on one of his work sites. Boots did however say that Julian had come a long way since 2001 and was a changed man.
Hon. Anthony 'Boots' Martinez, Port Loyola Area Rep.
"The news shocked me because Julian has really raised to a level in terms of stop hanging out and stuff like that and the news really shocked me because Julian was one of the first to be at work in the morning. I always believe in giving people a chance and I can't complain in terms of his employment and his contribution to myself and by extension mostly the people of Port Loyola because he was the man in charge, second in charge to delivering the septic tank project that we are doing right now. As you notice his truck is parked in the yard. He would have been ready to work this morning but I got the unfortunate news last night."
And that's how Julia will remember her son Julian.
Julia Blanco,
"I knew my son to be a humble person but then as with everybody, there are times that they get out because you get them really angry and I guess that was the point of it because he isn't anyone giving trouble or nothing that I know 'bout."
This is the second male family member that Julia Blanco has lost to gun violence in the city. In June of 2005 her brother Cleopho Lambey, seen here with his now deceased nephew Julian Serrano, was shot to death on Euphrates Avenue. It's also notable that this is the second driver that Boots Martinez has lost in a week. His other driver, Wayne Ruben Brown died of liver disease last week. And in fact, "Buff Serrano" was at his wake at Martinez's political office when his killer came up and opened fire.
Buff Serrano gained reknown in the streets in 2005 when he delivered the famous kick to the side of a fallen Crispin Jeffries after the senior officer sailed and then stumbled down the stairs of the National Assembly spraying tear gas.
And the man accused of killing Serrano, Joseph Bishop, the clerk at the Treasury Department turned accused murderer has been remanded to the Hattieville Prison until June 18th. Again Serrano was supposed to have been charged with wounding today. Joel Bishop, the father of Joseph, is still nursing that broken nose.
