The High Court in Belize City has set October 13th as the start date for the trial of Christian Espat and Michael Brown, who are currently remanded at the Kolbe Foundation-Belize Central Prison in connection with the 2023 triple murder of Carlos Chi, Delmar Rodriguez, and three-year-old Amarie Rodriguez in San Pedro. The trial will allow two key witnesses to testify virtually after expressing safety concerns to the prosecution and the court.
Justice Nigel Pilgrim handed down the decision on June 12th. According to court reports, the attorneys representing Espat and Brown strongly objected to the Crown’s application for virtual testimony. However, Justice Pilgrim upheld the request, citing the legal framework that permits evidence to be given via video link under certain circumstances.
The judge referenced previous cases in which witnesses were allowed to testify remotely due to fears for their safety. He also noted the extensive use of virtual court proceedings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Justice Pilgrim stated that the court has both the jurisdiction and authority to permit video-link testimony when warranted and found that the Crown had met the required threshold in this case.
The trial is expected to conclude on October 21st.
The triple murder occurred on October 22, 2023, in the San Pedrito Subdivision. According to police reports, Delmar Rodriguez, members of his family, and Carlos Chi were returning home after a night out when two gunmen ambushed them. Investigators said the victims were sprayed with bullets, killing Rodriguez and Chi and injuring four other persons nearby.
Rodriguez’s partner rushed their injured daughter, three-year-old Amarie Rodriguez, to the Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Polyclinic II. Despite efforts to save her life, the child later succumbed to her injuries.
Police indicated that the motive for the attack was drug-related and subsequently identified Espat and Brown as persons of interest. Both men later turned themselves in to the authorities while maintaining their innocence. Espat claimed he was in Mexico at the time of the shooting, while Brown stated that he was not on Ambergris Caye when the incident occurred. Despite their claims, both men were charged and remanded to the Belize Central Prison pending trial.
Brown is known to police, while Espat has had multiple encounters with law enforcement dating back more than a decade. According to police records, Espat was one of two persons injured during a drug-related shooting incident in northern Ambergris Caye in April 2014.
In February 2016, he was detained in connection with the possession of drugs and firearms believed to have been used in the murder of San Mateo resident Frank Edwards Jr. Two months later, in April 2016, Espat and Alex Espat were arrested and charged with possession of controlled drugs and drug trafficking after police reportedly discovered cocaine and marijuana at their residence.
In August 2017, Espat was arrested and charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of dangerous harm, and three counts of use of deadly means of harm. In July 2018, while out on bail, he was charged and remanded for the murder of American national Cliff Kirk.
Although the murder charge involving Kirk was later dismissed due to insufficient evidence, Espat again came under police scrutiny in July 2019 following the double murder of Belizean tour guide Mario Graniel and American tourist Dr. Gary Swank.
In May 2024, Espat was also sought for questioning in connection with the murder of his former partner, Mirsa Morales. He voluntarily presented himself to the police, denied any involvement, and was later released after questioning.
More than a year later, Espat once again became the focus of a major police investigation following the triple murder in San Pedrito, for which he now awaits trial alongside Brown.