There were three murders over the weekend – two of them in the city – and one in the south...we’ll have reports on all that, but we begin with the story of a disturbing homicide in the city today. Police still have not confirmed the identity of a woman found murdered and raped this afternoon in Belize City. Her death has been described as excessively brutal because her right breast was reportedly cut off, she had been raped, and then sexually assaulted with a stick which was set on fire. The discovery was made early this afternoon and we were on the scene.
Keith Swift Reporting,
It was a public spectacle on Central American Boulevard this afternoon as a large crowd waited for police to remove the body of a woman found dead – apparently murdered. Her body was found on this vernandah of an abandoned bungalow house. There was evidence that the female victim - had been viciously sexually assaulted and then tortured.
Wilwer Pinto, Found the Body
“I gaan over there and when I got there I saw this lady partially nude and her face was covered and when I looked more I saw blood behind from where her head was and I told her that they raped this lady and killed her, she didn’t die naturally.”
Elda Jones, Works in the Area
“I the person looked apparently dead and so he called me and went to the back to see and the lady was half-naked and only the top part of her had clothing and then the bottom half, they had her face covered up with a piece of brown material covering the lady face with blood around her head.”
The woman has been identified as 42 year old Ella “Gial Gial” Bennett.
She is originally from Honduras but had lived in Belize for more than 20 years. This bag which allegedly belonged to her – ties her to the scene. And away from the spectacle of her death was her cousin Valda Bodden.
Valda Bodden, Cousin of Deceased
“When I was coming here just now, a boy told me it was she and then I went so and I saw her bag.”
Keith Swift,
When was the last time you saw her?
Valda Bodden,
“Friday night.”
Keith Swift,
Did she seem like anything was wrong?
Valda Bodden,
“No she seemed happy. She talked good and laughed with me. It is a shock to me. Her family is in Honduras. She doesn’t have any family but me here.”
So who killed Ella Bennett? Wilwer Pinto believes this man knows the answer.
Wilwer Pinto,
It is somebody that he frequently deals with, like have affairs with and
from the state of what the lady is in, to the decomposed body, it could have partly happened the same night he came to me to borrow $5 to go and deal with a suspect over there, what he would call a suspect – like a female. Like he was eager for the $5. He told me to lend him $5 and because he usually washes my vehicle and then he said he would give me a nice Father’s Day treat tomorrow when I came to work but I didn’t come to work on Sunday. And then that is his area where he usually go to the back there.”
Keith Swift,
What night was that?
Wilwer Pinto,
“Saturday night.”
Keith Swift,
He told you lend me $5?
Wilwer Pinto,
“Yeah and the lady was around the building here waiting for him.”
Elda Jones,
“What upsets is because the way how the lady is and knowing that it is a female and I myself is a female, it really makes you get angry about it to know that somebody could do that to female like that, knowing that all of us come from a female.”
Again that is the family’s identification. Police have not made a positive but late this evening visited Bennett’s home.
