Murder of Fisherman on Turneffe Atoll May Be Drug-Related, Police Say

Police continue their investigation into the first murder of 2025 after the body of 59-year-old fisherman Godfrey Hyde was found on Turneffe Atoll over the weekend. Hyde, a Belize City resident, was discovered face down on a veranda with gunshot wounds.

Earlier today, Police Commissioner Chester Williams told the media that the murder may be drug-related, stating, “Information suggests that the person who was killed might have found some drugs… and that was the reason they went after him to try and get those drugs.”

The body was found by fisherman Fedrick Dougal, who alerted the Belize Coast Guard. Rear Admiral Elton Bennett of the Belize Coast Guard stated that the area had not previously been identified as a security concern but acknowledged the presence of different groups in the area, some potentially involved in drug trafficking.

Williams stated that a team of officers and coast guards are conducting searches in the area as the investigation continues. “We do anticipate there may be more persons involved, and so we need to do what needs to be done to prevent any further violence in the coastal area of Belize,” Williams added.