Last night, we showed you, 22 year-old Guatemalan Noe Daniel Avila; 19 year-old Belizean Angel Antonio Cardenas, and 28 year-old Belizean Mateo Pott Jr. who were jointly charged with the murder of 71 year-old Ramon Cervantes Sr. Well, they were also formally charged and arraigned today in Orange Walk for the charge of kidnapping.
Since his disappearance, the family and the wider public had speculated that Cervantes was kidnapped, and then killed. Police had refused to class his disappearance as a kidnapping the entire time, but with these formal charges, it's starting to put together a picture of what happened.
But, as old questions finally get answered, new ones keep emerging, especially, the Tuesday evening discovery of 46 year-old Sonia Abac's body. We've been closely following the two cases, and today, Daniel Ortiz tried to coherently piece together what is known. Here's his report:
Daniel Ortiz reporting
The murders of 46 year-old Sonia Maribel Abac and 71 year-old Ramon Cervantes Sr. continue to puzzle their families, friends, and the wider public. So, far, there is no known motive for the killings.
But they do have a few things in common.
ACP Russell Blackett - OC, National Criminal Investigations Branch
"There are some similarities. Clearly when you have a modus operandi and it is similar."
The first major similarity between them is that police learned about their burial from these men, 22 year-old Guatemalan Noe Daniel Avila, 19 year-old Belizean Angel Antonio Cardenas, and 28 year-old Belizean Mateo Pott Jr. These accused murders told police where to find Cervantes.
FILE: July 7, 2014
Mike Rudon, Ch5
"Can you confirm now that it is indeed Mr. Ramon Cervantes Sr.?"
ACP Russell Blackett - OC, National Criminal Investigations Branch
"Yes it has been confirmed. It is him. It's a very gruesome and cruel death. I guess the body has been in a very shallow grave about 3 days and it's a bit decomposed."
2 days later, they would reveal to police where Sonia Abac's body was. How did they know about where she had been buried? Only police can theorize at this time.
ACP Russell Blackett - Head, National Crimes Investigation Branch
"The same suspects that took us to Mister Cervantes body were the same one who took us to this farm where Miss Abac was thrown in a well about sixteen feet deep and buried."
Mike Rudon - Channel 5 News
"Sir, were you able to get any information from those persons who took you to the site as to the facts leading up to the death of Miss Abac?"
ACP Russell Blackett
"Whilst I cannot disclose the evidence, I can assure you that we have a clear view of what took place."
Daniel Ortiz
"Sir, Could you tell us what the officers found exactly in this particular location?"
ACP Russell Blackett
"Well, the body was badly decomposed, mostly the torso. Obviously she was hit with some blunt object; her right jaw was broken and after that she was thrown in the well."
Thrown in a well, and callously discarded, her human dignity stripped away, It was done in a very similar fashion as to the perpetrators who beat Cervantes to death, and buried him here in this shallow grave.
Another major similarity is the choice of burial sites - they are adjacent to each other. Yesterday, since the farm that Cervantes was found on was no longer an active crime scene, the media went right up to the edge of the fence of that property to view the search for Abac's body, on the adjoining farm.
Reporter
"Sir, as it relates to the ownership of those two farms, do the owners have any relation to the people who committed these crimes?"
ACP Russell Blackett
"Not exactly, you will find that these farms are open lands, there are easily accessible and permission definitely was not given to them to commit such heinous acts."
And finally, one other major connection between the two cases is that Police are seeking deportee Manuel Castillo, also known as Pelon. Speculation is high as to his possible involvement or connection to killing of these 2 Orange Walk residents. Police wouldn't release any details when confirmation about the last time Abac was reportedly seen alive.
Reporter
"Is there any truth to the information that Miss Abac was last seen, they drop her off at the home of one Manuel Castillo to do some type of massage to Manuel Castillo's common-law-wife?"
ACP Russell Blackett
"We haven't got anything on that information and as I say whatever is disclose within the evidence I will refrain from giving that to the public."
Reporter
"Has the family said when she was last seen by them?"
ACP Russell Blackett
"That was the 23rd about 4pm in the evening."
But what Blackett did concede yesterday was that Castillo is most wanted right now by police:
Reporter
"At this point Mr. Manuel Castillo, he is being sought by police? Is he a wanted man? His name is being mentioned in both cases."
ACP Russell Blackett
"Yes, he is definitely wanted. He is our primary suspect and we are doing our best to try to locate him."
Reporter
"As the mastermind sir?"
ACP Russell Blackett
"Definitely."
Based on the time line, they went missing 11 weeks apart from each other. But, but apart from what we now know, there are still gaping holes in the story that aren't being answered at this time. The biggest of them: why were these people killed?
Police may know - but right now they aren't saying.
It's important to note that for yesterday's charges, the court book suggests that police intend to charge fugitive Manuel Castillo with Cervantes' murder also.
The 37 year old Castillo was first deported from North Carolina in the US in 2004 for drug trafficking and possession of weapon with intend to kill. In 2007 he traveled back to the US where he was detained for illegal entry and spent 36 months in prison after which he was deported to Belize.
Meanwhile, the men who are currently remanded will be taken back to court on August 13.
