Today, twenty year old Jason Joseph who is a construction worker in Belize City was taken over to the Magistrate’s Court where he was formally arraigned for the murder of Jason Munnings. Investigators still can’t say why Joseph allegedly killed Munnings on February 4 of this year, but they are confident that he is the man who opened fire on Munnings at the corner of Mosul and Vernon Streets in February.
For a CIB office battling a crushing caseload it’s one more crucial arrest and according to the Head of Crimes Investigation in Belize City, Superintendent Aaron Guzman it’s the community that made it possible.
Supt. Aaron Guzman, CIB Commander
“It has taken us a month and a little over a month to get an arrest and someone has been arrested and charged who is suspected to be the person who committed that crime. That is credited, 90%, to concern persons out there saying to us and giving a statement as to what they saw and in my mind that is good civic pride and community service because then you become your brother’s keeper or your sister’s keeper.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
But do you believe that will be strong enough to hold up in court?
Supt. Aaron Guzman,
“Well that is not for me to say, that will be tested in court. That will be for the DPP to decide at the end of the day. But initially what we have, we believe is good enough for charges to be laid and for the person to appear before the court.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Is there anything at all in the investigation that would indicate whether or not he had a problem with any individual?
Supt. Aaron Guzman,
“Jackie because this matter will come before the court, I would not discuss that in detail but I must be frank with you too and say that at this stage we don’t have any statement to say a reason why. So because there is not a statement for me to comment on, to say a reason why then if I would comment on that it would be pure speculation. And yes we have some speculation but I would prefer not to say what are my thoughts about that because then I would be assuming.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Only that Mr. Joseph has been placed at the scene of the crime?
Supt. Aaron Guzman,
“We have statements which in our mind, the police’s mind, my mind, is enough for us to lay charges against Mr. Joseph, Jason Joseph for that shooting. As to the reason why it is alleged that he shot Munnings, we don’t know as yet.”
In court today Joseph insisted on his innocence and told Senior Magistrate, Dorothy Flowers that if he is the number one suspect, why then did it take police two months to charge him? Joseph further stated that no police identification parade was conducted, so he cannot understand how police know he was the man behind the gun.
Jason Munnings, a BWS employee, was shot two times while he was driving his black Jeep Cherokee. Munnings lost control of the vehicle which collided into a chain link fence. When police arrived on the scene they found Munnings slumped over the steering wheel. At the time of the homicide the Munnings family said they did not know why their loved one was killed.
Joseph was remanded and will reappear in court on May 19.
