Tonight two children aged two and four are without parents after they lost both parents last night in a murder suicide. Police Constable 438 Steve Anthony Ferguson killed his common law wife - and the mother of his two children, 30 year old Josephine Hamilton - and then shot himself in the head.
It’s another inconceivable tragedy - but the kind we’ve seen before coming out of relationships with a long history of abuse. And this one fit that description, right down to the terrible end.
Here’s more from the police and form her family:
This is the house on Faustino Zuniga Street where the horror unfolded last night.
ASP Francisco Ack - OC, Toledo
"On 21st November 2018, around 10:45 acting upon information received of shots fired on Faustina Zuniga street - police visited the home - upon the body of a female persons was later identified to be Josehpine Rosalie Hamilton 30 year old housewife sitting against the wall motionless and the body of a male person who was identified to be Steve Ferguson motionless."
Ferguson had shot her three times in the head and then turned the service 9 millimeter pistol on himself:
ACP Joseph Myvett - Head, NCIB
"She was seen with several gunshot type injuries, two to the top of the head and one towards the left eye. When the scene was processed for expended shells were found whilst 5 live rounds were found in the magazine. What police know so far is that there seem to have been a dispute prior to the incident."
Another dispute of many the couple had in the 9 year relationship which produced two children - those children, just infants, were in the home at the time when this horror unfolded:
ACP Joseph Myvett
"There were two infants as well as two teenagers were at home at the time of the incident."
Jules Vasquez
"Are you all aware of what may have triggered it? May there have been out 'socializing'."
ACP Joseph Myvett
"No at this point in time the investigation is in its early stages, so we're trying to determine what exactly caused the incident to have occurred."
Hamilton had told her family she wanted to leave Punta Gorda:
Stacey Perez - Sister in Law of deceased
"All she told me that she will be home soon, she was supposed to pack her stuff and come to we because I have several recording that we spoke on what she will do. She will come to Belize and find a job and she will send her daughter to school.”
Jules Vasquez
"She had plans to leave him though?"
Stacey Perez
"I guess she wanted to leave him, I think the things that she was going through make her just get fed up, that is as far as I know."
Jules Vasquez
"What was the trigger for this horrible event?"
Stacey Perez
"That he mussy hurt her, she probably told him since you want to be that kind of person I will leave. All I could say that is what happened yesterday night. She must have wanted to leave at that time or already packed and he already knew about it or... I just don't know what to say because it hurt."
Police say PC Ferguson had not showed any signs of being suicidal:
ASP Francisco Ack
“He was a jovial persons, he was a team player, he did not display any sign of anger, any sign of wanting to hurt himself or wanting to hurt anybody."
Now, two children are left without parents
There were four children in the house - the two infants which the couple shared, his teenaged son, and a nephew. They were all taken into the care of the Social Services Department.
Ferguson had been transferred to Punta Gorda at the beginning of July - and Hamilton joined him shortly after. He killed her with his service weapon - which he kept on him as part of the Quick Response Team.
The Police Department issued a statement saying, quote, “The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Allen Whylie, the senior ranks and file of the Belize Police Department extends their sincere condolences to both the Hamilton and Ferguson families.”
