It was big news in February of 2009 when a string of bodies – three in total turned up dead on the each of northern Ambergris Caye. All the killings were suspected to be retaliation for a drug drop that went missing. As many as 8 persons were charged for the three killings but information so far suggests that those arrests may have been statistical because so far 5 of the accused were sent home as nolle pros. And tonight one more accused person has been set free.
The murder charge against twenty three year old Alex Soler was dropped after it was determined that there is no evidence that indicates that he killed Eduardo “Bhralee” Gutierrez and James Swan. The bodies were found in a shallow grave in the Rocky Point area of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye on February first, 2009. Both had been killed on January twenty ninth, 2009. Alex Soler who was represented by Senior Counsel Simeon Sampson was jointly charged along with Brionne Swift and Victor Garnett.
According to a report from the San Pedro Sun, Alex Soler is free following a directive from the Director of Public Prosecution that the charge against him be dropped because, you guessed it, that there was absolutely no evidence to suggest that Alex Soler was involved in the double homicide.
The report states that while the DPP has instructed that one of the accused be set free, the director of public prosecution instructed that Brionne Swift and Victor Garnett, the other two also accused of the murder be submitted to a preliminary hearing. But when the matter was heard today in San Pedro before presiding Magistrate Emmerson Banner, Attorney Dickie Bradley who is representing Brionne Swift told the San Pedro Sun newspaper that the statements given by the cases’ witnesses Ivan Tun and Eric Swan contradict each other.
Both witness statements that defence attorney Bradley has described as contradictory have been submitted by the prosecution as key pieces of evidence in the double murder case. So the question now is will the charges be dropped against the remaining two accused Brionne Swift and Victor Garnett? Well that decision will be made on February eight when the presiding Magistrate Emmerson Banner will decide whether or not there is sufficient evidence against them to proceed to trial in the Supreme Court.
