The ongoing case against Christian Espat and Michael Brown, accused of the October 2023 murders of Carlos Chi, Delmar Rodriguez, and his three-year-old daughter Amari Rodriguez in San Pedro Town, will go to court on January 25th. The victims’ families have been closely following the case but noted discontent with the current investigation, claiming it is being deliberately mishandled.
The Rodriguez family has issued a statement indicating they have been excluded from updates and were never allowed to access the case disclosure. “Our family tried to reach out to the lead investigators, and we were given excuses that the permission to see the disclosure can only be authorized by the Commissioner of Police (ComPol),” they said. The family said they attempted to follow up with the ComPol, the Director of Public Prosecutions, and the Prime Minister several times without a response.
The statement noted that in September 2024, the family was able to access a partial disclosure of the case. According to them, they became highly concerned over missing evidence from the investigation. They are said to have observed that the validity of certain statements and material given by at least one accused was never challenged by way of investigation. Other key forms of evidence, such as a cell phone believed to belong to one of the accused, were allegedly not used by the investigators.
The family also pointed out that the partial disclosure they had access to did not show any collaboration with their Mexican counterparts, as Espat claimed he was in Chetumal, Mexico, on the day of the murders. The family said they would have verified this with the Mexican authorities through forensic evidence. The statement also touched on the lack of securing testimony from someone in the Immigration Department. This was requested to learn about the illegal cross-border activities between San Pedro, Belize, and Mexico.
The formal statement also included issues with protection for witnesses. They cited instances of threats against the victims’ relatives and witnesses. Some have reportedly left the country, fearing for their safety. The family said the accused is believed to continue having access to items such as mobile phones from inside the prison (Central Prison of Belize) to order activities such as the threatening of those willing to testify against them.
The main concern expressed was regarding Espat, who has been involved in numerous criminal cases over the years. He has been associated with a handful of murders but never convicted. Rodriguez’s fear is that the case may fall through the cracks, and their loved ones will not be served with justice.
The incident occurred on October 22, 2023, in the San Pedrito subdivision. Delmar, his family, and Chi were returning home after a night out. Reportedly, two gunmen ambushed them. The spray of bullets not only killed Delmar and Chi but also injured four persons nearby. Delmar’s partner rushed to Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Polyclinic II with their injured daughter. Unfortunately, the baby girl succumbed to the gunshot injuries.
Police said the motive was drug-related and later named Espat and Brown as persons of interest. The duo handed themselves over to the police, claiming their innocence. Both Brown and Espat were held liable for the mass shooting and have since been held at the Central Prison of Belize, waiting for their trial to start at the High Court in Belize City.
