23 year-old Josue Ortiz, the Belmopan resident who was charged with the July 2016 murder of 33 year-old Regina Williams, has pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter. Ortiz - who was 19 at the time - told the Belmopan Supreme court that he was attempting to have sex with the mother of 3 after a night out at a bar, but she ran and fell, and he panicked, and hit her over the head with a stone.
IT started at La Cabana Night Club in Belmopan City on the night of July 24, 2016. Ortiz, and his brother met a woman who they knew only as "Gina", at the bar, and they began to hang out and drink beers.
After the bar closed, they ended up at her home in the nearby Las Flores area. The two were having a conversation when Ortiz grabbed her. She fell to the ground, hit her head, and fell unconscious. He panicked, picked up a stone and struck her several times to the head, and she died. Court reports say that Ortiz confessed to killing her in a caution statement, and he simply jumped on his bicycle and went home afterwards.
Williams' body was found the next day by her 13 year-old daughter. She was face down in a pool of blood right in front of her house. Her pants and underwear were reportedly pulled down to her knees.
Ortiz had a hearing for his case before Justice Antoinette Moore yesterday, and he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter. The judge has deferred sentencing until April 15th, 2019, where a mitigation plea will be heard on his behalf.
He was represented by attorney Oswald Twist, and the prosecution was represented by Crown Counsel Javier Chan.
