One year after he was accused of murder, 23-year-old Alex Soler is a free man following the Director of Public Prosecution’s (DPP) directive that the murder charge against him be dropped. Soler was one of three accused and charged in the double murder of Eduardo “Brahlee” Gutierrez and James Swan on January 29th, 2009.
In the DPP’s directive, it instructed the court to drop charges against Soler on the basis that there was absolutely no evidence to suggest that he [Soler] was involved in the murder. The DPP, however, instructed that the other two accused, who were jointly charged with Soler, Brionne Swift and Victor Garnett be submitted to a preliminary hearing.
During the preliminary hearing, Swift’s Attorney, Richard “Dickie” Bradley outlined to the court that the evidence submitted against the accused was contravening. Bradely told The San Pedro Sun that the statements given during the investigation by both witnesses, Ivan Tun and Eric Swan, totally contradict each other when it relates to the chain of events. In court proceedings, both statements are key pieces of evidence and were submitted by the prosecution in the double murder case.
Both Eduardo Gutierrez and James Swan were found murdered in a shallow grave in the Rocky Point area of Ambergris Caye on February 1st, 2009. Police, at the time, said that investigations revealed that both men were murder since January 29th, 2009. The double murder, it was suspected, was related to another murder which took place that same week; all murders were suspected to have been drugs related.
Presiding Magistrate Emerson Banner reserved his decision until February 8th. Soler was represented in court by Senior Crown Council Simeon Sampson.
