Kolbe Foundation Belize Central Prison

Former island resident Tracey Betancourt, 26, was found not guilty, in her absence, of Lamont Lipka’s 2018 murder during a hearing at the High Court in Belize City on Thursday, December 21st. Betancourt, who remains at large, had been jointly charged with Leon Walford, 38, for the murder of Lipka, an American national businessman in San Pedro Town. In July 2022, her verdict for murder was to be handed down; Betancourt was out on bail, absconded from the court hearing, and since then has been on the run. While she was not found guilty, the High Court noted that Betancourt could still face the escape charge because she voluntarily decided to abscond.

On Monday, December 18th, David Gill Lambey, 18, was arraigned at the San Pedro Magistrate Court for the Murder of islander Irvin Enderson Martinez. Martinez, a 28-year-old bartender, was fatally stabbed on Friday, December 15th, after an altercation with Lambey and three other individuals. The other three persons, 22-year-old Zephania Mariano, Zechariah Mariano, and 19-year-old Keyron Lambey, were also arraigned for the charge of Aggravated Assault. They were all remanded to the Kolbe Foundation- Belize Central Prison until their next court date on February 28, 2024.

The police on the island have been working on intelligence reports and are cracking down on the importation of illegal items to the island.

On Friday, August 25th, San Pedro tour guide Jesse Smith was released from the Kolbe Foundation- Belize Central Prison after being charged with Causing Death by Careless Conduct in a February boating accident that killed a teenage American visitor.  One hour before the news of his release was shared, tour guides, tour operators, fishermen, family members, and friends came out in numbers to denounce the charges and demanded that the respective authorities like the Belize Port Authority (BPA) and Belize Tourism Board (BTB) do their job. Protesters spoke about the absence of proper signage, no distinctions of No Wake zones, no swimming areas, or navigational lights to guide vessels or swimmers.

Jose Ricardo Mendoza, who in April 2018 was accused of fatally stabbing his father-in-law Gaspar Vargas, was sent back to the Kolbe Foundation-Belize Central Prison after he pled guilty. He had reportedly been out on a $40,000 bail for the charge of manslaughter. But after he pled guilty on Wednesday, July 19, at his hearing in Belize City’s Supreme Court, he was remanded and will remain at the central prison until his sentencing.

The Meighan family in Caye Caulker was caught off-guard after learning that the person accused of murdering their son, 34-year-old Lalman Logan, was found not guilty of the crime. On Friday, July 14th, Justice Ricardo O’Neil gave his verdict at the Supreme Court in Belize City, acquitting Logan of any charges relating to the Murder of Christopher Meighan.

The murder trial of 32-year-old David Gonzales continued this week at the Supreme Court in Belize City. Accused of murdering his wife, Marisela Gonzales, back in October 2020, Gonzales’ trial began on July 21, 2022, with the announcement of over 40 witness statements as evidence.

Two islanders, Delson Paguada and Lucio Salazar, were arraigned on Tuesday, January 3rd, for the December 30th shooting death of American tourist J'Bria Michelle Bowens in San Pedro Town. A third person, Alfredo Trapp, is wanted for questioning by police. One thing this trio has in common is that they have all faced Murder charges in the past. However, each has managed to get out of imprisonment in one way or another.