They married as teenagers after a courtship of only three months and for six years 25-year-old Erwin Blanco and 23-year-old Yezirah Carillo Blanco had what their families thought was the perfect marriage. Well it appears it wasn’t because Yezirah is dead and her husband Erwin is the prime suspect in what police now say is a homicide. She died on Sunday in their home in August Pine Ridge Village. Erwin Blanco says it was an accident- that she fell in the tub and died in her sleep. But the post mortem and Yezirah’s family say differently. Here’s the family’s story first.
Eladio Carillo Sr., Father of Deceased
“She was healthy and everything, no kind of sickness – nothing.”
And that’s why Eladio Carillo senior is suspicious about the sudden death of his daughter – 23-year-old Yezirah Blanco. Her husband Erwin Blanco says she got drunk, fell in the bathtub, and then died.
Eladio Carillo Sr.,
“That is the explanation that I see from her husband’s family – that what happened is that they were drinking and she got drunk, she
went to the bathroom and she slipped and dropped and later she went to sleep and the alcohol choked her to death. That is what I heard but that doesn’t satisfy me.”
Keith Swift,
Has your son in law talked to you and told you what happened personally? Has he said anything to you?
Eladio Carillo Sr.,
“Well he hasn’t spoken to me yet. He was supposed to come here but he didn’t.”
Keith Swift,
What does that tell you?
Eladio Carillo Sr.,
“Well it arouses some kind of confusion and really I can’t say but she is my daughter.”
Erwin Blanco’s mother Juvencia Blanco - who is Yezirah’s mother in law says she was there on Sunday morning and along with her son – they tried to revive Yezirah.
Juvencia Blanco, Mother in Law of Deceased
“I saw her laying on her bed and I started to touch her, shake her
to see if she is not dead. I didn’t want to accept that she is dead. I got a shock, tremendous shock. I never knew my daughter in law would die this way. As her mother, I know that they formed a beautiful life, loved each other, and that is why I suffer for she because she came to be like one of my daughters. That is all I can tell you, I know that this is an accident. I don’t know what caused all of this but one thing I can tell you, I am sure that my son loved my daughter in law.”
But Eladio Carillo isn’t convinced - at least not when we spoke to him this afternoon at the morgue in Belize City. He was there along with Juvencia Blanco but he didn’t mince words. He says he saw bruises on his daughter’s body.
Eladio Carillo Sr.,
“I could see that she has bruises on her back, on her neck, and well I just can’t accept that it is something natural like that.”
Eladio Carillo Jr., Brother of Deceased
“She was a good person. I believe she is an angel, that is what I believe. I strongly believe that. There was a lot of rain last night. We have sayings whenever somebody good dies, God pours blessings on top of us. That is what I believe.”
Eladio Carillo Sr.,
“It hurts a lot to lose a daughter. She was only 23 years old.”
Keith Swift,
Do you think your daughter was killed?
Eladio Carillo Sr.,
“Well I can’t really say. I think this post mortem will reveal more or less everything.”
And Eladio Carillo’s suspicions became truth. Late this evening police pathologist Mario Estradabran concluded after his post mortem that Yezirah Blanco died from a brain hemorrhage – secondary to a injury to the head with a blunt object. Police Press Officer G. Michael Reid says it is now a murder investigation and the first person they’ll question is Erwin Blanco. He was initially detained by police but was later released. As mentioned in the story, Erwin’s mother was there for the post mortem. She says her son didn’t attend his wife’s post mortem because he was distraught and was taking care of the couple’s 2-year-old son.
