Belize City resident, 54 year old Egner Guerrero who had been missing for 12 days was found dead this morning.
His body was discovered off the John Smith Link Road near the mile 8 community around 10:30 this morning.
Guerrero, who was a mentally ill and an epileptic went missing 12 days ago. He went out on November 20th and just never came back home.
After days of desperate searching, his family got the worst news today - in a phone call from the head of CIB:..
Jamillah, Guerrero, Daughter
"This morning it was just a sudden call, I was dealing with something at the police department and I received the call from the head of CIB Mr. Cowo and he told me that my dad was found dead 10 minutes prior to his call and then he sent me a location that wasn't the location where my dad was found, so we went on a wild goose chase for a moment until he got a number from the officers that were there and that is how we came to find that it was my dad on the 8 mile road right near to where I found his shirt and we were told the police to please conduct their searches that they supposedly said that they were doing, not even 50 yards from that bus shed that is where they claim they found my dad."
"It was a gruesome moment, at the same time it was very difficult to see my dad in that situation because he has never harm anyone, he has never done wrong to anyone and on the contrary he saved a life on 2006. He saved someone that was drowning in front of the market. My dad has never done anything wrong to anyone and the police had they done their job we wouldn't be in the situation."
Jasmin Guerrero, Daughter
"Really and truly they did not put any effort to find my dad. All those searches that took place were independent searches by my family and by friends that helped us look for him."
Reporter
"You all have any idea what may have caused his death? He's been missing for 12 days."
Jamillah Guerrero, Daughter
"As far as what the police had said and what we believe is that probably he had a seizure and was trying to reach, because he is a diabetic and diabetic people are always thirsty, so he might have been reaching for water and just had a seizure at that moment and just collapse in the water."
Reporter
"Is that any relief at all that you have that closure of having found him, although very sadly he is passed?"
Jamillah Guerrero, Daughter
"Yes, I am happy at least we know what happened to him and that he is not suffering anymore, he is resting and God knows best. That's all I can say. At least we know his whereabouts, unlike other missing cases that you are at a lost and you don't know what happened to them, but thank God that at least we know what happened to him."
And, the family feels police were also dismissive of their father's plight because of his mental illness and epilepsy:
Jamillah, Guerrero, Daughter
"The police should be trained to deal with people like that. They should understand that when someone is ill that does not necessarily mean that they are dangerous. They need to understand that they are human beings and they are people and its true they have issues, but they are human beings and they should be aided when the aid is needed to be given."
At this time, foul play is not suspected but a post mortem will have to be performed.
