And so tonight, still many questions but very few answers - and Budna's abduction remains a burning issue that has gripped public attention - which, when you think about it, makes it the ultimate Joseph Budna storyline.
Jules Vasquez looked in the archive and found that Budna has always courted attention, drama and conflict while playing it close to criminality:
The Book of Budna is full of drama, playing it close with crime, near misses and close escapes.
Jan. 31st, 2011
But on Saturday Budna was the one who needed an emergency assist after he let two dangerous men into his car.
Ryan Joseph Budna
"He took out what appears to be a 9 millimeter chrome pistol and place it behind my head and he says 'don't do anything stupid."
"The vehicle was moving, I jumped out and shout and Operation Jaguar jump into operation as quick as possible."
Police saved him then but just one year later, accused them of abuse:
November 7th, 2012
He was busted with almost four pounds of weed by Cayo police.
Ryan Joseph Budna
"I am tired of the police department, one sector of the police department who tends to be targeting me every time I enter the country."
"I am not a fool, if I was a drug trafficker I would never even bring anything illegal in my vehicle."
"There are other means, but because I am not a drug dealer, I am not bringing anything illegal in this country."
And that pattern continued for years:
Ryan Joseph Budna
"I am tired of the police department."
Until he ran afoul of the Guatemalan police:
May 10th, 2013
Guatemalan Police charged him. Guatemalan Police charged him for kidnapping, conspiracy and illicit association with other criminals.
According to the Guatemalan press, Budna was the leader of a ring of criminals specializing in international kidnappings in Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico.
Aug. 15th, 2013
Voice of: Ryan Joseph Budna
"As you know I was charged for attempted murder and as well for an unlicensed firearm - that was a.40 firearm which police claimed at the time of my arrest that I fired shots after them."
"Now this was one of the serious cases in Peten that they accused me that I opened gun shot against the anti kidnap police squad in Peten."
Those are high crimes, Budna was convicted and sentenced to 25 years - and then he escaped:
July 15th, 2019
The Belizean who escaped from a Guatemalan jail at the end of May. He had been serving a 25 year sentence for kidnapping.
Ryan Joseph Budna, A "Free" Man
"It feels good to be home a free man - land of the free. Belize is the land of the free. Thank God for that."
"A person coming from Guatemala, running from the Guatemalans, whatsoever past he has, come to Belize which is a free country and he is a Belizean and there is no treaty."
"Come, let me see the extradition treaty you have. You cannot do that. There is no one above the law."
And neither was Budna - who ended up in constant conflict with police:
Ryan Joseph Budna
"And the man say you know what Budna, I have a great mind to put a charge on you, because you are doing r* out here. I told me if I am doing any r* like what you say, charge me."
When they did eventually charge him it was for abetment to murder:
Ryan Joseph Budna
"They're trying to put me in prison, they're trying everything, they brought charges all of this week to me, and if they find me dead in my cell, it's the government to be blamed. If I am found in my cell, it's the government to be blamed because they're trying to get me to prison."
That came in July of 2024 - but 11 months earlier - a 16 year old male minor was killed in his San Ignacio bedroom:
Ryan Joseph Budna
"It was a attempt against my life and the life of an innocent young man, one of my friends, and it hurts because he's a human being. He's somebody's son. It hurts. And there's a lot of speculation that, that even hurts more because if they will know how the young man got to my residence, it would be a different story."
"Jules, let me tell you this. Let me tell you this. I'm still in a state of shock."
And most recently, in May of this year, Budna was attacked in San Felipe, Orange Walk while he was on a live stream. He claimed he was investigating a matter when a man charged at him with what appeared to be a whip and hit him. Budna made a police report but nothing came out of it and there was no court action.
This very incident came up one day before he was abducted at the people's stadium when he had a back-and-forth with the Prime Minister about it.
Ryan Joseph Budna
"I have allowed you to say what you had to say, but you're saying that I need to be more positive. Had your sources told you that I big up you all for the roads that you all fixed in Orange Walk? Had they told you that I big up the Prime Minister for the round about by the bus terminal? That they don't tell you about? I am objective. I am objective."
John Briceno
"The other day they told me that Budna is blasting us because of the grass and you..."
Ryan Joseph Budna
"Who hold these people responsible, Prime Minister?"
We note that while that story picks up Budna in 2011, before that he was sentenced to ten years in prison in the year 2000 for aggravated assault and an unnatural crime against a 14-year-old boy. He currently has multiple charges against him in the courts including cyber-bullying and sexual assault of a minor.
