Also in court today was another man accused of an even more serious domestic offence. 35-year-old Frederick Wagner - who was arraigned earlier this month for the attempted murder of his common-law wife, 61-year-old Dawn Bernard - was briefly removed from the Belize Central Prison as police continue their investigation into Bernard's death.
Wagner, who remains on remand until his next court date on January 5, 2026, was escorted early Tuesday morning from the prison to the Gender-Based Violence Unit in Belize City. Officers took him to be questioned on the circumstances surrounding Bernard's death.
By 1:00 p.m., Wagner was returned to the Belize City Magistrate's Court and taken back to the Belize Central Prison, where he will remain while investigators await postmortem findings and continue gathering evidence. Police have indicated that upgraded charges are expected.
The case stems from a horrifying incident on the night of November 10, 2025. After 8:00 p.m., officers patrolling Lakeview Street encountered Bernard emerging from a residence with severe burns to her body. She claimed he had set her on fire using alcohol. She died a week later.
