Police are struggling to keep up with a string of killings concentrated in the Lake Independence area – and last night there was one more. But this time, there was no wild spray of gunfire to alert the neighborhood, it was just one shot and the victim was left dead in the drain for two hours without police or his family knowing. Jacqueline Godwin has the story.
Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
It is believed to have been a single shotgun blast that killed twenty four year old Vashti Safka March aka Shadan. Belize City police say they have no information to suggest that this latest homicide is connected to the previous murders. But reports reaching 7NEWS is that the shooter was hiding behind this abandoned cement structure and as March rode past on his bicycle, he was shot to the back of the head.
Sometime after seven on Monday night March was riding home on his bicycle when he was killed on Mahogany Street Extension, only fifty yards from his own home. March’s bicycle was found on top of his body, lying face up in a water filled drain.
Supt. Aaron Guzman, Commander – CIB
“There is a wound behind his neck and one to the front. Exactly which one is the exit and which one is the entry wound, that would have to be established by the pathologist.”
Emmanuel Lopez, Father of murder victim
“Yes he was on his way home and they rode right behind him and shot him in the back of the head and it took the police two hours to come and find out what is the situation, even though someone reported they heard a gunshot. It took them two hours to reach there. What kind of law do we have in this country, what kind of police do we have? They don’t even respond to the situations at all.”
But head of Crimes Investigation Branch in Belize City Senior Superintendent Aaron Guzman says the body was at the location for some two hours before they responded but that is because they were not alerted until sometime after ten that night.
Supt. Aaron Guzman,
“I don’t know if he was shot there and he fell on his bike and it fell over into the drain or if he was shot somewhere else, taken there, and thrown on the drain and his bicycle thrown on top of him.”
Police did not find any expended shell and are unable to confirm what type of gun was used for the murder. Neighbors recall hearing only one loud bang. Lavern March says she only knows that recently her son’s life was threatened but she does not know who made the call or why.
Lavern March, Mother of murder victim
“Somebody called him on the phone and told him he has 15 shots for him. I don’t know how they got his phone number, that is the only thing I know.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
When did he receive that call?
Lavern March,
“About a week ago, that’s all I know.”
Supt. Aaron Guzman,
“If a threat is made on your life but the police have no knowledge about it, then we have no record to show that that threat was made and then after an incident it is harder for the police to go back and check records and say something happened. Because you are telling me that he was threatened. As far as we know, there is nothing to record in our diaries that he was threatened before.”
Sources tell 7NEWS that the police are investigating a report that March may have been involved in a shooting incident on Sunday night that occurred in his neighborhood and left a woman with a gunshot injury to her right arm. But Joshaun Stanford says she does not know if her cousin is connected to that incident but one month ago he was along with Qunicella Murillo and Lavern Garnett when the sisters were shot in their legs by an unknown gunman.
Jacqueline Godwin,
Reports reaching us indicate that your cousin may have been involved in a Sunday night shooting. Do you know if this is the case?
Joshaun Stanford, Cousin of murder victim
“No, as far as I am concerned, I don’t know if she is an associate of his in any kind of way but this morning when we went to the CIB branch, they Corporal was trying to indicate to us that maybe he was associated with her but as far we know, no. We don’t know if he is associated with her in any kind of way.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
So why do you believe he was killed?
Joshaun Stanford,
“Well concerning shooting, the only shooting incident that I know, what he told me he was in was the two sisters that got shot in their legs a long time ago. This is the second time he got shot at and this time they caught him so that is the only one, the previous one with the girls that we know about.”
The police admit that the next forty eight hours is crucial to their investigation and they are appealing to anyone who may have information to contact them.
Supt. Aaron Guzman,
“That is the time when we believe that most people have the information and will be able to give us right away.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Again you always hear about these youths being killed but you never imagine that one day it will affect you.
Emmanuel Lopez,
“No, I never expected it would affect me one of these days because I didn’t even know, when I came this morning my granny told me about it and I was shocked. I didn’t even believe. I saw him when I went to the morgue but this what is happening in our country, we have to make a stop to it and we have to really put a foot on it because then it will stay the happen and the police cannot find the killers. We need to find the killers of these victims.”
The killing is number thirteen for Belize City and again what caused it is
still being investigated. So too are the recent murder cases of Raymond Thompson better known as Quincy, Herman Morris better known as Yagga and Shaun Avilez.
Supt. Aaron Guzman,
“The past three homicides have been giving us a hard time because we find it strange as investigators, for a homicide to occur inside your house or in an area that you live at, that you are supposed to have friends around, and yet nobody can say to us the police, who are not there on the scene, who is the stranger that came there, or who is the person that was there or who left your area.”
Sources tell 7NEWS that in the case of Herman Morris, Yagga is believed to have been killed by some one he knew and probably did not fear, but was executed because of something he may have said about his killer. Guzman would not confirm the report but did say in the case of Shaun Avilez he believes there is more than what witnesses have been telling them.
Supt. Aaron Guzman,
“As you are well aware, when Avilez was shot, he was with two friends and so we are looking into that case also because you feel comfortable and safe around friends. It is important that you share whatever little information or knowledge you have about a particular case. That may be just the piece of the puzzle we are waiting for to solve that case.”
And it is that kind of cooperation that March family is counting on to find the person responsible for their son’s murder.
Lavern March,
“I would like to ask if anybody knows anything, to please come out and say whatever they know. Call the crime hotline and let justice…I don’t want my son’s life to go like that.”
Joshaun Stanford,
“We don’t want the killing to continue. We don’t want his brother or friend or cousin to go and shoot up somebody, it is ridiculous. I mean justice by law.”
Emmanuel Lopez,
“I deeply hurt by the situation…I just deeply hurt. I just want to find out who it is. My little boy is not a bad little boy. Although I am not that close to him, I know he is not a bad little boy. And the police must try to do something because this is happening all the time and they can’t find out who are the killers. So I just want them to find the killer and make him go and serve some time back a jail.”
Supt. Aaron Guzman,
“Personally it’s hard for me to look at it and see we’ve had a couple murders and we’ve made no arrests. It is that we may not have an arrest as quick or within a week’s time but that doesn’t mean that we’ve put that case away. Those cases of murder remain open and we try to work diligently.”
Jacqueline Godwin for 7NEWS.
Police have no suspects detained.
