A 68 year old woman was murdered on a farm in the Orange Walk District early this morning. Tonight, the police have the suspect in custody - and it turns out he knew her well. We spoke to her family at the scene:
It's a quiet rural setting on the Old Northern Highway, in the area known as London, 5 mile outside of outside of Santa Martha.
But today police were canvassing the area as a murder scene.
71 year old Esthel Trapp was bludgeoned to death inside her home with a hammer - and the man wielding it was allegedly the property's 56 year old caretaker.
Her daughter and brother could not believe it:
Voice of: Daisy Smith, Daughter of Estell Trapp
"The man, to me, was a good man. I still can't say anything bad about him because I don't know. I need to find out what really happened. I can't even say if I'm sure it's him because, he does not portray that person, you know."
Joshua Trapp, Brother of Victim
"It was a little bit after 8 this morning when I got the call that my sister was brutally murdered. I asked twice because I couldn't believe it."
The caretaker had called police from 3:00 am to tell them that he had an argument with Trapp and killed her - he gave police his name and location. When they couldn't find him - he called them back and led them to the location.
They found Trapp inside her bedroom in her nightgown with significant injuries to her head and face. Police also found a hammer which was the likely murder weapon.
Trapp's daughter hired the caretaker and said he was not. Known to drink:
Voice of: Daisy Smith, Daughter of Estell Trapp
"He's not a drunken man. He no drink like that. He has a drug problem. And that's the reason I brought him here. He said, I really want to chill out. So I said, if you're serious, I'll carry you to my farm. And I personally know the man is a good worker, and that is why he was here."
Joshua Trapp, Brother of Victim
"The person supposed to live on another part of the farm and take care of the place, that's about it. As far as I could say at this present moment, she had told me certain things which I would want to get to, you know, have to go into the investigation. And I think it's a little bit late to lament and say we did not pay attention to it."
The caretaker is now in police custody - as police try to determine what led him to kill her so brutally.
The suspect has given police a caution statement confessing to the crime. Reports suggest that the victim had received threatening text messages of a sexual nature from him before she was killed.
