There are four murders to report tonight in northern, central and western Belize – three of them were discovered by police in the last 24 hours. In Belize City, it was gun violence, while in Orange Walk and Sandhill, machetes were used. We start in the city where there was another murder on the south side of the river. Dennis Nembhard was killed in the Pickstock/Lake Independence area. As Jacqueline Godwin found out today, this may be the definition for a senseless murder. Brother of the deceased Dean Nembhard repeated to us his brother’s dying words.
Dean Nembhard, Brother of Murder Victim
“I get shot. No else words came out of his mouth, no else words. It is very hurtful because he run and come dead in my hands, dead for no reason. It is totally ridiculous. I even noh know whe fi start with. I don’t know what fi start with.”
This was the scene on Monday night just inside an alley that connects Oleander and Flamboyant Streets. A team of police forensics and investigators were in front of a gold van where thirty six year old Dennis Emmanuel Nembhard better known as Colored and Dico was shot. No expended shells were found, and we are not sure if investigators were able to get any information from witnesses in the neighbourhood.
Dean Nembhard,
“Police came around to ask for information from the streets and the streets aren’t talking so even if I get information about certain individual’s name, what is that to say because nobody wants to come and be a witness and I can’t be mad at them either because if you notice several deaths happened and it is witnesses who are killed so I…”
Today when 7News returned to the crime no one in the area would talk to us about the homicide but from all indications the killing of a well known handyman from the area has left many in shock.
By why would anyone want to kill 36 year old Dennis Nembhard? That’s the question that continues to haunt the family. They say the only reason why they believe Dennis may have been killed is because of an altercation that happened just before the shooting but involved the victim’s 12 year old nephew and another 12 year old boy. As the family pointed out, their brother was not even involved in that argument so they believe he should have never been killed.
The altercation between the minors reportedly took place in front of this Chinese store on Oleander Street. Today I spoke with Dean Nembhard as he sat outside
the Belize City morgue. Dean said all he and Dennis wanted to do was to peaceably settle whatever argument his son had gotten into. Dean says he does not know if it was the altercation that caused the murder but he never thought their attempts to resolve it would end in the killing of his only brother.
Dean Nembhard,
“To be honest I noh know what transpired for my brother to get shot because all I know is my son and some next boy had a fight. My son beat him up, he hauled out a knife and his mom was in the next yard and so his mom came out and hollered after the little boy and said please don’t juk mi son, that is the information I get, and the young boy said I will juk you up too and then he run gaan and came back with a gun and then his mom run came to me home and said, ‘Dean the young boy bring a gun after your son.’ So I jumped into my vehicle and I went around the lane to see if it was true. When I reached at the corner of Flamboyance and Court Lane I met my brother.”
Dean said Dennis got into his car and he explained to him what had happened. That is when the brothers agreed to talk with the minor’s family to see if they could settle the matter without any further problems between the children. That is when Dean said they drove by the Chinese shop where the altercation started between the minors.
Dean Nembhard,
“We gone around the lane. By the Chiney a lot of boys were standing up and when I stopped with the vehicle they run and I told them we don’t have no problem with them, we just heard that the individual who had the fight with my son passed this way. So now when I gone, I drive gone by the corner of Flamboyance and Court Lane, we stopped, two individuals came towards us, which in I know their names, and they said he doesn’t want to have any problem and so they want to solve it in a peaceful way. My brother was in a little haste indeed so he started a little kind of hard talk but I cooled him down. The two individuals just ride off. My brother said that you know what my slippers dropped around the lane. So my nephews jumped in and I continued to drive up Court Lane and we went by the same Chiney where we had stopped off and talked to the young men.”
The report is that when Dennis Emmanuel Nembhard was by this gold coloured van he was shot in the back. By this time dean who was in his car had circled the block but he says as he reached the end of the alley that connects Flamboyant Street he saw Dennis run out of the alley towards him.
Dean Nembhard,
“My brother ran to me and said he got shot. So I grabbed him and he got weak. I backed and put him into the vehicle. I started my vehicle and started to rush the fastest I could rush to hospital. When I reached at the hospital,
opened the door, and took him out, tried to take him out, I conscious that he was heavy and was bleeding from all over. So me and one of my friends, we backed him into the hospital, put him on the bed, and the doctor told us we need to come out because they need to do their job.”
Doctors told him that the pellets that struck seriously injured his brother and there was little they could have done to save his life.
Emmanuel Nembhard, Father of murder Victim
“I want justice for my son but I don’t want none of my children to get in trouble because of that because when you look that is another one gone again so we leave it in God’s hands, that’s the way I see it.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Let the police do their job.
Emmanuel Nembhard,
“Let the police do their job.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Would you like to appeal to anyone because we know someone must have seen something?
Emmanuel Nembhard,
“I would appeal that if somebody saw they could say and let the law has its course. It is hurtful but what to do.”
Today seventy five year old Emmanuel Nembhard tried to console his son because he says they do not want anymore bloodshed.
Emmanuel Nembhard,
“But we don’t want none of these children put their hands in because it done mess up already.”
Dean Nembhard,
“It is very senseless because there is no reason. I don’t even know up to now, that’s why I am confused, because I don’t know. They have me confused and lost but they always say from man you hide but from the most high you cannot hide. I leave it in the hands of the most high because he knows dah who. All I have on me is my dead brother.”
Jacqueline Godwin reporting for 7News.
As Dean Nembhard noted, he believes no one will want to come forward because they are scared to be a witness. Presently, police have one minor detained.
