And on the other side of this story is Elmer Nah, also a Belmopan native and former Comprehensive High School graduate.
He's accused of one of the most heinous murders in memory - and what made it worse is that so many of us saw it. In less than a minute a killer fired at least a dozen rounds, killing two and injuring two others. But he also traumatized a quiet community by visiting terror on one of its most well known families. Elmer Nah insists he didn't do it.
Tonight, Jules Vasquez looks at his stormy history in the police department:
We first heard the name Elmer Nah when he was just a young constable and incensed then Inspector Chester Williams
...While A Policeman is Jailed for Speaking Up
posted (June 1, 2004)
"Inspector Williams reportedly ordered Constable Nah to leave the office and when he refused a corporal and sergeant removed Nah from the office and threw him into a detention cell. He was still in uniform, and still on duty but was made to share a room with common criminals."
posted (July 27, 2004)
"Inspector Chester Williams who took 20 year old constable Elmer Nah to court for slashing the tire on his police issue green Ford Escort. Nah pleaded not guilty to damage to property and he was released on $1,000 bail."
Jules Vasquez
"Sir, in 2004, you made a criminal complaint against Elmer Nah. You might not remember that but..."
Chester Williams, Commissioner Of police
"I remember Jules, with the cutting of my tyre."
Jules Vasquez
"This is after you had thrown him in the detention cell, as I recall, while you were at Eastern Division. Did you have a foreboding that you are dealing with what Marisol called, or this gentleman calls a bad apple."
Chester Williams, Commissioner Of police
"That matter for me was dealt with. It's dead. Certainly, like I said, we all have people, or have had people around us that do things that we're not proud of, and would never condone. I maintain the fact that as a department we will always do what we can to maintain the integrity of what we stand for by holding officers who do wrong accountable."
We next heard Nah's name as a key operative in a new unit, the hard charging GSU. We saw them in April of 2011 honing their para-military techniques and by August of that year, in that infamous raid on the George Street neighborhood, Nah's name was the one being called the most:
posted (August 29, 2011)
Victim
"He grabbed me and put me on the ground and stomp me in my head back. Same Spanish one called Nah."
Victim
"This is what Nah did to my little girl at the station."
He was feared and dreaded in the streets. This facebook testimonial from Mary Beth Wade alleges a history of extortion, death threats and other random abuses. Again, these are unproven allegations, but it's how he was known in the city streets.
When his Uncle Marco Vidal was transferred from the command of the GSU Nah followed him.
He is seen here acting as bodyguard to Vidal's wife, DPP Cheryl Lynn Vidal in the Danny Mason trial.
Eventually Nah ended up as a key member of ACP Marco Vidal's Commander of Operations Strike Team - a unit with a broad tasking, operating from border to border, but under the radar.
This mother alleged that as part of that COST team, he was somehow involved in the kidnapping of her son, Raphael Garrido who was later found murdered:
posted (February 16, 2021)
Adrianna Sanker, Raphael Garrido's mother
"A red car approached him and policeman was inside the vehicle. That was when they took him."
Again an unproven allegation, but one more added to the most explosive one made by Constable Michelle Brown in 2020 who was charged for the murder of Fareed Ahmad:
Post: 7News for December 9th, 2020.
"She heard the sound of a firearm's safety being disengaged. She claims that a third person, whose voice she recognized as a police officer, entered the backseat.
Brown's testimony became emotional at this point, and she claims that the officer spoke up and said, quote, "Dah now den." End quote.
She claims that the officer pointed the firearm to the back of her head, and she heard the gun snapped twice. The officer allegedly then pointed it at Fareed's head and pulled the trigger.
Nah said that on that night, he went home to Coney Drive where he remained with his uncle, Senior Superintendent Marco Vidal for the rest of the night.
Corporal Nah said, "That statement she made,..I personally was lost."
Jules Vasquez
"Was Mister Nah involved in some kind of black ops?"
Chester Williams, Commissioner Of police
"We're not the United States, Jules, we're Belize. And we do not have what you're speaking about."
Nah was never investigated for that sensational claim and the next time he appeared in the news was when this drug plane landed on the Southern highway in Bladden village and these weapons and vehicles were found.
Members of the Strike Team were accused of facilitating the landing and Corporal Elmer Nah was arrested a few days later - charged for - among other things - conspiracy to land a plane at an aerodrome without permission from the ministry.
And now he is accused of double murder and attempted murder. But yesterday at his arraignment - he insisted the man in the video is not him - and that he is being wrongfully accused.
Time will tell if Mr Nah has gotten a bad rap or if he is, as police now claim, the baddest of the bad apples.
