Tonight, there is simmering tension in rural Belize District - and this is not just petty village beef - last night a man was killed, likely as a result of the rivalry between men from Lemonal and Double Head Cabbage.
We start with the murder - and then we'll update you on what's happening at this hour.
The murder happened at the Burrell Boom junction where Lemonal resident Malcolm Reynolds was killed.
Police are looking at it as a possible act of retaliation because on Sunday at a horse race in Burrell Boom, the murder victim's younger brother, Julian Reynolds was accused of stabbing an off duty BDF soldier. The soldier is form Double Head and he survived.
Reynolds was charged and bailed, only for his older brother Malcolm to be targeted and murdered a day after his arraignment.
It's the culmination of rivalries between these two villages which have been steadily escalating for some time leaving a number of persons seriously injured over the years. And now a man is dead. Jomarie Lanza went to Lemonal to find out more about this latest murder.
It was a usual work to home commute for 27 year old Malcolm Reynolds last night, when his life was cut short at this bus stop near the Boom cutoff.
Reynolds was a construction worker, and his mother Cherry Anthony recounted for us today the last time she saw her son before the family learned through a mutual friend that he had been murdered en route to their home in Bermuda Landing.
Voice of: Cherry Anthony, Mother of deceased
"Yesterday morning, they work construction so every morning i get up to cook for them 4:00 so yesterday the last time I saw him was when he caught the 5:30 bus to do to Belama where he usually goes to work."
"Last night a police boy from here one of our family called and asked about 7:30 if the police called us so I told him no and he told me that they shot up this boy Julian and he was over there sleeping. So I called for him and he answered and so I told the guy it wasn't him. So I told his dad what they said so afterwards the guy called back but when he called back I was already bawling because the bus that comes 7:00, his dad called and asked if he was on the bus, and they said no. So I started to bawl. And when the police boy called back he was the one who told us no other police called to inform us or anything only that young man right there."
The family claims that the police never informed them of the incident, and while their loved one now lies in a body bag at the KHMH they can only begin to piece together what may have caused this tragedy. - including inter-village rivalries:
Voice of: Cherry Anthony, Mother of deceased
"Listen, let me tell you, you have two villages, you have Bermudian Landing and Double Head Cabbage. Anywhere those boys go they harass them if they meet one or two of them they tell them to set it up thats the only problem I know about. They had a fight that happened at horse race but Malcom wasn't doing anything as far as I hear because i wasn't there."
"That set and crowd only that crowd right there those two villages are always back and forth with those boys, only them I know about."
Jo-
"Did they say why?"
Voice of: Cherry Anthony, Mother of deceased
"No, I don't know its only beef with the boys there. You make a report and there's Ladyville police, Ladyville, Landing, Boom all that they do is that they pick up Lemonal man and then they leave Landing and Double Head man. So this thing is only between the boys and when they pick them up it's only them they harass and they leave the others there so I think Mr Chester need to move Boom, Ladyville and Ladyville Landing because they are not doing their job they are working with those boys there the ones causing problems."
Reynolds was the second oldest child in his family and had no children. His mother believes that they will get justice one way or another.
Reporter
"How would you describe your son what kind of person was he?"
Voice of: Cherry Anthony, Mother of deceased
"Malcom was a loving jovial anything that you want to do... You only call on him and he will be there to assist you. But those people who chanced my boy because they are cowards, they only wanted to catch him alone but I have news for them and their mom's. You see how I am bawling their moms will bawl back because that man up there we serve is a mighty God and we will get our revenge from the God up there. We won't do anything no retaliation no nothing we will get out satisfaction from God."
