For most Belizeans, the holiday weekend was seasonable and pleasant, but the families of at least 6 others, it was deadly: there were three homicides and three people were killed in traffic accidents.
Of course, there was also the resurgent Harbor Regatta and the perennially popular Ruta Maya - we'll have those, but we begin with the catalogue of woe.
We first met Jason Pott three years ago when he was a standout BDF recruit - so we were stunned to learn on Saturday that he had been killed.
Monica Bodden has the story of his rise and his sudden demise:
FROM NOV 15, 2007
Keith Swift
"How do you feel to be the champion recruit?"
Pvt. Jason Pott, CHAMPION RECRUIT 2007
"I am very proud of myself. I know I pushed myself hard."
Keith Swift,
"Why did you decide to become a soldier?"
Pvt. Jason Pott,
"Well mostly because of my parents. I always wanted to make them proud of me and because I wanted to do something worthwhile instead of idling myself on the street."
But the street - right here at the corner of Cleghorn and Slaughterhouse Road is where 27 year old Jason Pott died three and a half years later.
It happened on Saturday afternoon around 4:30 - just a few yards away from his girlfriend's house.
He was stabbed in his chest by his girlfriend's neighbor - Devon Goodger - over a bicycle.
His younger sister -who asked to appear off camera for her own safety - told us what happened.
Victoria Pott - Sister
"He picked up the baby and while he did that the people saw him and started to threaten him again. He didn't pay them any attention."
Monica Bodden
"This was Saturday morning?"
Victoria Pott - Sister
"Yes when he went to pick up the baby. He told the people to leave them alone because he has a baby with him. He went and I guess when he came back the people waited on him and while coming back, the people threatened him, he just ignored them, he dropped off the baby at his girlfriend and while he was on his way out - his girlfriend notice that they were running after him with sticks and everyone cursing him. They killed him like 4 houses from his girlfriend house down the street while going back. The young that stabbed him was the last one to ran out of the house to stab him."
Monica Bodden
"So everyone came out of the house attacking Jason; the mother, her children, everyone."
Victoria Pott - Sister
"Everybody. My cousin was with Jason and he said that they were trying to fight; he said that the young man came out from nowhere and stabbed Jason."
27 year old Jason Pott was still alive - despite the obstacles he had to undergo before reaching the hospital.
Victoria Pott - Sister
"When Jason got stabbed, Jason took off his shirt and ask him to please take him to the hospital. Jason sat on the bicycle handle and they rode going up stop, while going up stop a police knock them down off the bicycle. When the police knock them down - Jason got up and went inside the police truck. Jason asked the police to please help him to take him to the hospital. He got in the truck himself to take him to the hospital. The police didn't even help put him on the stretcher. They took him in and while undergoing treatment they pronounced him dead."
Monica Bodden
"So he was knocked off the bicycle?"
Victoria Pott - Sister
"Yes, he was knocked off the bicycle. I guess because they were double riding up stop. He just got a big stab and my cousin was just trying to get him to the hospital quick because no one was around to give them a ride, so my cousin put him on the bicycle and trying to take him to the hospital when the police knock him down."
The conflict began about a month ago, when Pott accused his girlfriend's neighbors- the Goodger family- of stealing his bicycle.
Victoria Pott - Sister
"This related from a month ago with an incident with a bicycle while Jason came from work and was at his girlfriend house. He left the bicycle on his verandah and he and his girlfriend was at his house and when he came out he noticed that his bicycle was not there and he see the young man from across his girlfriend on his bicycle. He went to the mother and told her that her son was on his bicycle and that if she could please get his bicycle. The mother didn't give him any justice - she just cursed out my brother. My brother didn't push the issue because he didn't have any papers for the bicycle so he didn't really worry about the bicycle again."
But things didn't end there - on the 13th of February - the Goodger family reported to the police that Pott had burglarized their home and stole a bicycle from them.
Victoria Pott - Sister
"A Saturday he slept right here at my mother the entire day. He was with everyone, the Sunday morning came for him saying that the people made a report that he had broken into their house Saturday night - while he was here the entire Saturday night. The police took him and charged him for burglary; he lost his job and everything."
Monica Bodden
"Which Saturday?"
Victoria Pott - Sister
"I don't really remember."
Monica Bodden
"Like 2 weeks ago?"
Victoria Pott - Sister
"Yeah, the 13th of February. They had him hold and they charged him for burglary and he lost his job and the after that he didn't go around his girlfriend any at all. He didn't see his baby and Saturday he went there to get his son from his girlfriend."
Today the family strongly believes that Pott's chances of survival would have been higher -if it wasn't for the police knocking him off the bicycle that was transporting him to the hospital.
Victoria Pott - Sister
"If they never had knock him down I think Jason would have survived because Jason is a fighter. We want justice yes because for a bicycle that was for Jason and they took his life for something that belongs to him, just that he didn't have any papers or nothing for it. We want justice."
Pott died while receiving treatment at the KHMH. He was the father of a 3 month old baby and a 2 year old son. Devon Goodger has been detained pending charges.
