Body of missing Orange Walk man found

Ricardo Blanco

The other murder was in Orange Walk, where the naked body of a missing man was discovered early Saturday morning off a feeder road in the outskirts of the town. Thirty-five year old Ricardo Blanco, a jack of all trades, was reported missing on Thursday by his stepfather, Arculano Navado. According to Navado, Blanco left home on Thursday morning and was not seen or heard from again. The family became suspicious when it learned that Blanco was involved in a brawl with several men in front of the New Diamond supermarket just outside Orange Walk Town. It is believed that Blanco was beaten and strangled to death with his own underwear. Freelance reporter Duane Moody headed to Orange Walk and has this story.

Duane Moody

“Approximately one mile down this feeder road located three miles from Orange Walk Town, the nude body of thirty-five year old Ricardo Blanco was discovered under some bushes. The discovery was made around nine on Saturday morning by family members searching for their loved one.”

Mark Hemsley, Brother-in-law of Deceased

“We mi di search fi the man all over the place. We come up through this feeder road and when we come up through this feeder road, ih next brother-in-law see wah pair of tennis on the street and so we stop.  So we start search all of the bush; we gone all over the place and when we come over this side yah, we see the man pants over the next side. And then when the forensics and some next young man weh we bring come search with wih, we see the man deh so—ih mi deh covered with grass; only ih toes mi deh out di show. When they take off the grass from the man, the man mi deh nude; completely nude and ih look like dah ih brief they use fi put around ih neck and choke ahn.”

Francisca Blanco

Blanco was last seen alive around seven p.m. on Thursday. When he did not return home the following morning; his mother, Francisca Blanco, says she knew something was wrong.

Francisca Blanco, Mother of Deceased

“When I found out that he neva came home to sleep, I was worried. And I said to myself, “What happened to him.” So I noh think nothing bad because ih always go out go drink and come back and if ih go sleep and ih sleep up dah somewhere, by six o’clock he done come. So I wait for him until six o’clock and he neva come.  He missing Thursday, Friday. It’s Friday, let’s go see if we could find him by river; if they beat him maybe they ker ahn by the river. We gone to the bush whole night till three o’clock we come out.”

While a motive for his murder has not been established, it is known that Ricardo was involved in a fight with four men from Trial Farm Village around twelve-thirty on Friday morning. It is believed that he was beaten up in front of the New Diamonds Supermarket in the village and then taken to  the feeder road where his clothes were removed and he was strangled to death with his own underwear.

Mark Hemsley

Mark Hemsley

“Before we start search fi di man and thing, we start go about and ask if anybody hear weh happen—if nobody noh see mi brother-in-law or anything. So when we reach in front of Diamonds, the young bwai tell wih that dah some lee young bwai beat up the man.”

Francisca Blanco

“My small son weh drive taxi come and tell mi ma that Diamonds Chiney tell me that they beat my bredda last night. What? Yes! I see the pool a blood right there mommy. Oh well if dehn beat ahn last night, well ih deh dah hospital. So I tell them go to the hospital. So they went and he was not there.”

Mark Hemsley

“I noh know why dehn bally mi have to do the man that. If dehn mi wah rob dih man, dehn just shoulda mi rob di man and dehn neva had to do wah all that.”

The family says that the murder is senseless because the father of four was not a trouble maker.

Francisca Blanco

“He was working in New River Enterprise, at Muffles as yardman; he was working at Town Board for two years in Town Board.  I know him good and he is a person that would not kill somebody or hurt somebody or nothing. He can’t do that—he’s not that kind of person. He like drink but fi do badness or something; no. That is the kind of son I have.”

Duane Moody

“Is Ricardo known to have any enemies or anything like that for someone to want to kill him; to take his life?”

Mark Hemsley

“No, no. the man is just a person weh like drink. That dah the only thing weh he like do—go and drink and thing. He mi di invite dehn bwai because the Chiney man tell me that he mi di invite dehn bwai fi drink and dehn bwai just turn around and beat up ahn. He mi di watch it through the window when dehn mi di beat ahn and he chased them and put on the light.”

According to Orange Walk police, three persons have been detained in connection with the murder. Ricardo’s body was transported today to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where a post-mortem examination is scheduled for Tuesday. Duane Moody for News Five.

No one has been charged as yet for Blanco’s murder.