On Friday night, we had breaking news of a murder out at the Turneffe Island Range. The victim was Kirk Smith a 33 year old Belize City resident who was shot while he was out on the seas fishing with two partners Trevor Johnson, 22, and Jason Westby, 23. As Jacqueline Godwin found out, two Hispanic men just pulled up in their boats and opened fire with an AK47.
Maxine Zelaya, Common-law wife of Murder Victim
“My husband got killed because for many years now he has been working sea and his dream was to become someone in life, own a resort, win something out of life. And he always whatever he went through to just back him up because he is going to stand up tall and one day he will be someone.”
But Kirk Smith will never get to see his dream come through that is because police say this man Marcus Moh shot and killed the thirty three year old businessman around seven on Friday morning. According to Maxine Zelaya, her common law husband worked as a lobster fisherman at his camp on Ropewalk Caye. He was hard at work setting lobster traps when he was killed.
Maxine Zelaya,
“He went to work on Monday and he came back on Tuesday and then Tuesday night he told me he would be going back because he had too many things to work and from the last week he couldn’t get to work on it because of the weather so he said he had so many things to work that he needed to go back the next
day. So I asked him when will he be back, he said if Thursday then Friday because he had a lot. So that was the last when he left on Wednesday morning until when I saw that one of his workmen came in and told me the sad news.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
And what are the friends telling you, they were out at sea setting the lobster traps?
Maxine Zelaya,
“They were out diving and he just came out of the water, they dove like two traps and he was on the bow and they were going for a next one and when he was on the bow looking for his traps, the boat just came up to him and he saw the gun and he came down in the middle of the boat and they didn’t even ask any questions, the gun just was pointed at him and shot.”
Reports are that for sometime now the victim had been threatened by the accused and others where they worked at another fishing camp.
Maxine Zelaya,
“But I know they wanted him dead because they had a lot of threats on him for years and he kept on telling me so I know one day he would be going without returning but he never ever said he would just do what he has to do and I would see him in prison. It is because of the amount of traps and the way he worked. Every time he went to sea he made sure he made a money to come home. He knows to work the sea. He knew to work the sea, he knew to move everything around so he can make money, so he can make sense so he can help his friends, he knew how to work, he knew how to generate anything and everything.”
The bullet struck Kirk Smith in his abdomen and exited through the right side of his body. Family and friends believe their loved one was killed because of
jealousy.
Maxine Zelaya,
“But I just want them to know and I really need you to put this on the air, I need you to put this: they wanted him dead from a long time ago and he established so much, he had two camps. Why would he want to steal anyone’s traps when he has two camps and he doesn’t even have time for us home because he has too much work to do. So I know they wanted him dead but the water and everything that is in the water that they wanted is there for them. He left it for them, he worked hard and it is his blood money and his blood but they can work and if they can live peaceful with that, let them go on.
I have three little girls that I have to go through it with and I won’t let them bring me down, I have to stand tall for him because he was a supportive father and he needed me to be there for his kids, he would need me now. So I just want them to know when the hands of death knocks at their door, I just hope they can handle it the way I do.”
Today Maxine Zelaya watched as her husband’s accused killer Marcus Moh went to Magistrate’s Court where he was arraigned on the charge of murder.
Maxine Zelaya,
“When I saw him God kept me up, God kept me up when I saw him this morning – that’s all I know because they kept on asking him before this time even come, whenever anyone of my family needs to go down, I have to accept it and give me the strength because it will come. We are living in a wicked world. I am one of God’s workers, Kirk is one of God’s workers, and I know we have to face this but when the wicked one knocks at their door, I don’t know how they will take it and it is not my problem how they take it. All I have to say is that I have to go on for my kids and we will meet Kirk again in heaven because he is waiting for us in heaven. I know and I have to go there with him so I have to live in the path and the road to God and I need to bring my kids in that same direction so we can meet again because my older daughter told me they took away her hero and he was everyone’s hero.”
While Belize City police strongly believe Marcus Moh is the triggerman they have yet to locate the boat driver and another individual that reports suggest may have ordered the hit on Kirk Smith.
