Often times, the crime stories that lead this newscast tell of young men killed because of old beef, or as retaliation for some shady business gone wrong in the underworld. But the thing about this weekend’s murder is that the deceased was a working man, with a steady job and a steady girlfriend. But on Saturday night, someone had him marked for death. The question of why continues to perplex his grieving and stunned family. Jacqueline Godwin found out more.
Janelle Tillett, Girlfriend of Deceased
“It’s really sad. I cannot take it. I do not know how much longer, I do not know if I will be able to go on but I am trying. I know he does not want to see me like this but it hurts.”
Janelle Tillett and Jason Munnings a loving couple who were looking to spend the rest of their lives together but six years into the relationship that dream shattered. It tragically ended on Saturday night when someone opened fire on the boyfriend and killed him. Jason was on his way to see Janelle when he was murdered at the corner of Mosul and Vernon Streets. He was found slumped over the steering wheel of this black Cherokee Jeep. It is believed Jason after being shot lost control of his vehicle and crashed into this chain link fence.
Janelle Tillett, Girlfriend of Murder Victim
“Actually we made plans to go out together but he told me that he did not want to go because he had to go to work early in the morning. So I asked him if he could come by my house later that night and wait for me until I come back. He said he does not know if he is going to do that but he will see if he will do it.”
Janelle is out with her girlfriends she received a phone call telling her that Jason had been shot up. She frantically calls his cell phone but it is not Jason on the other end of the line.
Janelle Tillett,
“When I called his cell phone, a police man answered the phone. I asked who is this he told me P.C. something, I am not really sure. He said that Jason was in an incident and you need to go over to the hospital immediately. He asked who he was talking to and I told him his girlfriend. He said okay. I went, I got into the car and I went directly to the hospital. While I was on my way over there one of his close friends call me on my cell phone and told me that it is very serious and he might not make it, actually the doctor had already pronounced him dead. I just tried my best to get over there as fast as I could when I got over there he was already dead. I saw a bullet wound in his arm. That was the only bullet wound that is saw and blood was coming out of his mouth, he was cold.”
The bullet that shattered the window of the driver’s door struck Jason in his left arm and exited the left side of his back. Janelle says when she last kissed Jason around seven that night, she never believed that she would be viewing his body four hours later at the KHMH.
Janelle Tillett,
“It was horrible, it was horrible, it was really horrible. I couldn’t believe that, I would actually, the last time that I would see Jason would be like that. It is hard, it is very hard.”
What remains a mystery is why Jason Munnings was killed. There are several reports the police are investigating but there is nothing substantial.
Janelle Tillett,
“I could only assume that Jason was probably heading to my house but somehow he took the opposite direction and he went Mosul street because I live Euphrates so he went Mosul Street probably he knew that he was being followed, that is what I am assuming. The person approached him, shot at him a couple times. I know Jason is a very strong person, he thinks fast so I guess the only way he felt that he could come out of that situation was that he would reverse and try to dodge the bullet.”
Janelle says she does not know who would want to follow Jason but only that afternoon he had hinted that there may be trouble.
Janelle Tillett,
“I noticed that he has been carrying in his pocket a knife. I asked him, Jason what are you doing with this knife? He said that he was using it for protection. I said protection, protection for what? He said that he got into an altercation with some guy. He did not go into full detail. I do not know when was the altercation, with who or anything that was the last of the conversation because he is into somebody who would get himself into problems that is not the kind of person that he is. I mean he loves his friends, he loves his family, you know, he is a wonderful guy.”
Rupert Munnings, Brother of Murder Victim
“I know he has some friends that the family does not like him to associate
with. I don’t know if he is a victim of that or so because that could play a role. I mean I don’t know that part of it. I don’t know who his friends really are but my little brother, he is somebody that I don’t know why they would want to kill him because he is not a person that confronts. He is always the one who is the peacemaker, he is the one always trying to make right and trying to make people. He is a joyful person so it is kind of sad to see that somebody would take such a precious life.”
The homicide occurred at a time when the Munnings family are still trying to recover from the loss of another loved one Magistrate Richard Swift whose death too still remains a mystery after he and five friends went fishing and never returned.
Rupert Munnings,
“We are a strong family and we are just leaning on each other’s strengths as a family because the Munnings family is indeed a strong family and we need each other’s support right now. That’s all we just need each other’s support.”
At the time of his murder Jason Munnings was working at Belize Water Services Limited. He had been with the company for six years.
Janelle Tillett,
“I do not know how I can move on without him. I mean we have been seeing each other for six years.”
Rupert Munnings,
“The thing I will miss about my brother the most is his smile. He has a smile that would light up a room and it just breaks my heart to see somebody so young just pass away like that.”
We caught up with the victim’s brother Rupert Munnings at the city’s morgue where he was waiting for the results of the post mortem. The examination reveal that Munnings died due to internal bleeding caused by two gunshots believed were made by a nine millimeter pistol.
Dr. Mario Estradabran, Pathologist
“According to the forensic autopsy, he was shot, the first shot, the first entry was from the back and then that shot was at a far distance and then after that then the perpetrator went closer to Mr. Munnings and fired the second shot to the shoulder.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
I know the police have been out at the crime scene, nothing substantial is coming forward. Would the family like to appeal to the public to anyone who may have seen something to come forward?
Rupert Munnings,
“Well I am appealing for witnesses out there who saw anything because we need that help and I just need to ask anybody out there, just go to the police and just give them your story because we need that right now.”
Jacqueline Godwin for 7NEWS.
The murder was the fifth for Belize City in this year. If you have any information that can help the police call the nearest police station or Crime Stoppers at 0–800–922–8477.
