And while police look for Jeffords' killers, a 25-year-old man was in court today after he was charged with rape. According to police, a 17-year-old girl was found partially nude on the Philip Goldson Highway on Saturday morning, around 7:00. She told officers that she was at a nightclub on Friday night, but lost consciousness shortly after she arrived. When she woke up the next morning, she was in her underwear in a vehicle, and realized that she had been raped.
Today ACP Dawson explained that the alleged perpetrator is cooperating with police, which made the investigation easier. He added that the nightclub will now be investigated for allegedly allowing a minor inside.
ACP Alden Dawson, Head, National Crimes Investigation Branch
"On Saturday October 22nd, sometime around seven a.m., Ladyville police received a report that a female minor was raped. We conducted an investigation where they learnt that the female minor attended a wake earlier that night - that would be Friday night - and eventually ended up at the Eruption Nightclub where she was drinking. Her claim is that after she had taken several drinks, she lost consciousness and was wakened in a different location. Police have conducted an investigation and have charged a Belizean male so far for the crime of rape."
Reporter
"Can you say how old the male was?"
ACP Alden Dawson
"The male is twenty-five years old."
Reporter
"And was he along with her when they went out?"
ACP Alden Dawson
"Well, she only claims that she was with some friends. But the investigation led us to that male person as being the person who has committed the crime. So far he has been cooperative, hence the reason he has been charged for the crime of rape."
Reporter
"Do you know if the two of them knew each other before hand?"
ACP Alden Dawson
"I don't have that information."
Reporter
"Is there an investigation taking place into why that minor was inside that club?"
ACP Alden Dawson
"Yes, we are dealing with that matter as we speak. The Ladyville police is at Eruptions Nightclub at this time retrieving the footage. If that's the case that there was a minor, we will then be requesting to the Liquor License Board to have their license suspended as was done in Hopkins with the Wabinaha Nightclub where two persons were killed. There were some minors in that club as well."
Reporter
"She seems to have some type of memory loss, is there is toxicology report to say if she was drugged maybe?"
ACP Alden Dawson
"We are working on all that. Like I say its an early stage. Today is only Monday after the investigation and all that need to come into play and we are working on them."
And in court, 25-year-old Michael Llewellyn Flowers appeared unrepresented before a senior magistrate. He told the police that the sex was consensual, and that he did not rape anyone, but admitted that the victim was intoxicated.
Neighbors who saw a man and the victim walking along the highway reported it to the police, and when the homeowner checked his surveillance cameras, recognized the man as Flowers.
The senior magistrate explained to Flowers that she would not be taking a plea from him since rape is an indictable offense triable at the Supreme Court. Flowers was also denied bail, and won't be able to apply for it until after 90 days. He was remanded to prison until December 29th.
