Today, a sixty-three-year-old woman was sentenced to five years imprisonment for child cruelty. Reports are that between January and July of 2017, Anke Doehm, the adoptive mother of thirteen-year-old Faye Lin Cannon, willfully neglected the minor and subjected her to injury to her health. Doehm had adopted four female minors from China and took them to live with her in the United States, before migrating to San Pedro with her and her late husband. However, in 2017, the then, thirteen-year-old Faye died while in Doehm’s care. It was later confirmed that the minor had been malnourished, as well as physically and sexually abused. Doehm appeared before Justice Derick Sylvester today, who, after considering the aggravating and mitigating factors, handed down a five-year sentence with effect from march fourth, 2024 when she was found guilty. These factors included, in his view, a lack of remorse displayed, a lack of accountability, the neglect of the child and a failure to provide adequate meals and physical abuse inflicted by Doehm’s husband. Sylvester also noted that Doehm required psychological help and must be considered a danger to children in society. As a result, she must also enroll in every rehabilitation program at the prison, and she is not eligible for parole until after serving half of her five-year prison term. Doehm was initially charged jointly with her husband, David Doehm, however, he took his life before the case came to trial. Regarding Doehm’s medical condition, a recommendation was made that she must return to Cancun for follow-up treatment. Justice Sylvester took note of this and reassured Doehm that, according to CEO Virgilio Murillo, the Belize Central Prison facilitates medical treatment for prisoners and should a prisoner require outside treatment, arrangements can be made.
Category: Trials
Accused Murderer Elmer Nah Proclaims Innocence
Accused murdered Elmer Nah continues to proclaim his innocence. He stands accused of murdering brothers Jon and David Ramnarace and Jon’s wife, Vivien Ramnarace. Last week, during the trial of the Bladen twelve, Nah slipped News Five a handwritten in which he said he was innocent and that an enhanced version of the security video which captured the murder could prove it. On Wednesday, Nah sent this newsroom another handwritten letter. In this latest letter, Nah highlights different time codes, pointing out certain aspects of the shooter. Today, we asked Police Commissioner Chester Williams about it.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“There are a number of evidence that circumstantial evidence that points towards Nah being the one responsible for that particular case, but certainly with what he had what he had provided, we will explore that possibility, but matter of fact, we are doing so at this time. So to answer your question, it is being looked at, but I don’t want it to come across as if we are exploring other possibilities because we’re not sure as to the nature of the case that we currently have against him.”
Reporter
So that video looks like. pretty grainy. Is there the potential to actually enhance that?
Chester Williams
“We have solicited the assistance of the U. S. Embassy and we had sent that video footage abroad and to some extent it was enhanced. Not as good as we wanted to, but the experts in the U. S. um, did do what they could do with it for us. The Matter of the escort, I believe I have addressed that before. We have looked at the surveillance footages from the van that normally does the escort as well as the barricade footages from the police officers who conduct this escort. And there is nothing, absolutely not one iota of evidence to support the claim that Nah is making. is not. You have to understand Nah is very crafty and now has an attorney who is who is ten times more crafty than he is. So, I don’t know what else to say. I don’t know what we have said to you that we have done the investigation and there is nothing to show that as you are claiming that there is reckless driving. No. There is none. There is none. The camera for the van is there. There’s no evidence to show that he has been threatened by anybody who escorted him.”
Key Witness in Bladen 12 Void Dire Testifies
The Head of the Prosecutions Branch, Alifa Elrington called her ninth witness to the stand today in the Bladen twelve trial. Several of the twelve men accused of facilitating the land of a suspect drug plane in southern Belize are claiming that they were physically abused by police while in their custody. As a result, the court is currently undertaking a void dire, what is commonly known as a trial within a trial, to determine the validity of the men’s claims and the admissibility of their caution statements. It is an issue that will determine the trajectory of this case, and with ten witnesses set to take the stand, it is almost at its conclusion. News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.
Police Corporal Radro Muschamp, attached to the GI3 Unit in Punta Gorda Town testified before the court today in the Bladen twelve trial. Muschamp told the court that he was at home on the night of November fourth when he received information that led him and three other police officers to Bladen Village. He says they made a stop in Indian Creek Village and walked about half a mile along a dead-end dirt road. There they reportedly came across a white Toyota Hilux. According to Corporal Muschamp, two men exited the vehicle, Moses Perez, and Armando Martinez both farmers from Ranchito Village in the Corozal District.
Corporal Muschamp says that Perez also told them that the plane’s cargo was left along the Golden Stream Village riverbank and that he was willing to lead them to it. A search was later conducted in the area, but nothing was found. This afternoon, attorney Richard Dickie Bradley crossed examined Corporal Muschamp. In the ongoing void dire, the defense is claiming that several of the defendants were beaten or threatened while in police custody following the discovery and seizure of the plane, and that their caution statements are inadmissible as a result. Attorney Bradley was not able to complete his cross examination before the court adjourned. But, he asserts that Corporal Muschamp is the officer accused of inflicting injuries upon the men.
Richard “Dickie” Bradley, Attorney- At- Law
“This is an important witness. The allegation made against him by some of the defendants is that he is the one beating, he kicked, stumped, beat them bad. I will not release the photographs and medical papers. I will speak to attorney Banner about this matter. But this is more than just this case. If the allegations are true, we cant proceed this way. When somebody says something to the police or they write something incriminating themselves that is important evidence. The law in our country is that you cannot use anything obtained from an accused if he was threatened, promised anything, coerced and worse if he was beaten or tortured. The law is very clear on that matter. The judges from when all my hair was black they always upheld that important principle. When you say somebody agree to give a caution statement they might not know what is a caution statement. A caution statement is yo the sink yo self. So, it is important. This officer is accused of doing things he should not have done.”
“It appears that all he have said an written is contrary to the allegations being raised by these accused?”
Richard “Dickie” Bradley
“Well if you have been around the block and hang around Wagner’s lane and the street side, as I said in court, no police ever ever come to court and say yes your honor I kick ah eena ih mouth, I kick out ih teeth, dah me burn ih testicles, never, never, never. So we are not gullible. He will come and say that. Why did he give them water? The man seh he gives them water to wash ih face because he was under blood. No mark deh pan ih farrid. They have pictures. Deh nuh beat deh self. A man batty buss right up, he nuh beat himself. In fact, when they went to court just two or three days afterwards they made the complaint and showed the matter and the police had taken them to hiospital. Does anybody ever just get up and tell the police, oh guess what happen, dah me mih the off load the plane and mister so and so help me. People act like that? My bway if you the deal with cartel and you open your mouth you gwen dah burying ground. Nobody does that. That stupid mein.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.
Two Men Charged with Police Officer’s Murder
Two men have been charged with the murder of Dylan Anthony. They are twenty-nine-year-old Hugh Middleton and eighteen-year-old Marlon Gideon. Investigators believe that the two men fatally shot PC Anthony on the Roaring Creek Bridge on March twenty-third. PC Anthony was on his motorcycle heading home to Camalote Village when he was murdered. He was mistaken for another individual and targeted. Police Commissioner Chester Williams told reporters on Monday that Gideon was the driver and Middleton was the pillion rider. The Compol explained that Middleton and Gideon, along with the intended target, are all currently at the Belize Central Prison under the State of Emergency.
Police Officer Charged for Obstruction
Inspector Walton Patrick Banner, a police officer, has been released on bail after being accused of obstructing another officer during the detention of a suspect involved in a stabbing incident at the Horse Race in Burrell Boom Village over a week ago. Banner appeared in court unrepresented and pleaded not guilty to the charge. He was granted bail in the sum of one thousand dollars plus one surety of the same amount. Despite initial concerns about conditions for bail, it was determined that Banner and the complainant officer did not work together, so no conditions were imposed. Banner is expected to be placed on interdiction, receiving half pay, and is due back in court on May ninth. According to investigators, police officers were responding to a violent altercation at the horse race track. Julian Austin Reynolds, armed and allegedly involved in injuring another person, was being detained by police when Inspector Banner allegedly intervened. During the fight, B.D.F. soldier Clint Stevenson was stabbed. Today Police Commissioner Chester Williams updated the media.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“We have the ongoing rivalry in the Belize River Valley area involving three villages are the villagers from three villages. That is Lemonal, Bermuda landing and a Doublehead cabbage. A number of persons were detained over the weekend and the police conducted investigation to ascertain the extent of these individuals involvement in the ongoing rivalry. A number of persons will be charged for varying degree of offenses. And one of those persons who have been charged is Sergeant Walton Banner. He was charged for obstructing the police. This resulted from his conduct when police detained those persons who were wanted for a chopping that took place at the horse race on Holy Saturday, where he allegedly obstructed the police officers from detaining the suspects. So he has been charged for obstruction in respect thereof.”
A Fiery Back and Forth in Bladen 12 Voir Dire
As we reported on Wednesday, the twelve men charged with the landing of a drug plane on the Southern Highway in November of 2021 appeared in court. The Head of the Prosecutions Branch, Alifa Elrington called her fifth and sixth witnesses of what will be ten persons called during this juncture of the trial, which is called a voir dire. That process is necessary because before the trial can continue, the senior magistrate who is presiding over the matter needs to be able to determine if there is even a case for the defendants to face if what they are claiming is true. Several of the men are claiming that the police abused them while they were in their custody. The arguments by the prosecution, headed by Elrington and by Attorney Leroy Banner for the defence, are fiery. News Five’s Marion Ali spent most of the day in the courtroom at the Charles Bartlett Hyde building and filed this report.
The first of two witnesses to take the witness stand on Wednesday was Police Corporal, Jose Uh, who has been with the Belize Police Department for twelve years. Now a corporal of police, he explained that at the time of the interception of the drug plane in November 2021, he was a police constable attached to the Quick Response Unit based in Belmopan. He told the court that at around twelve-thirty on the afternoon of November fifth, 2021, he was at home when he received a call from an Inspector Novelo, who asked him to record a caution statement from thirty-year-old Moises Perez, who was at the time detained at the Police Training Academy. Uh said that he asked Perez if he was giving the statement voluntarily, to which he responded “yes” and that after Perez said he had not eaten all night, he offered him food and water. He said he asked Perez if he knew why he was detained, to which Perz responded, “yes, for illegally bringing down an aeroplane.”
He said Perez did not indicate to him at any time that he was beaten and he said he was giving the statement freely. He said he also heard when Corporal Uh told Perez that he did not have to give the caution statement and that he decided on his own to do it and that he indicated he preferred if Uh wrote out his statement for him instead of him writing it out himself. Cal aid the officer also gave him food in his presence. When the defense asked for his observations of Perez, he said he appeared to be calm. The case was adjourned until next Monday, April eighth, when Cal is expected to return to court for the completion of his testimony. Marion Ali for News Five.
Police Cpl and JP Testify in Case of Bladen 12
The voir dire in the case of the Bladen Twelve resumed today at the Charles Bartlett Hyde Building in Belize City. The twelve men are facing trial for the landing of a drug plane on the Southern Highway on November fifth, 2021. The prosecution called its fifth and sixth witnesses today in the persons of a police corporal and a Justice of the Peace. Head of Prosecutions, attorney Alifah Elrington, called Corporal Jose Uh this morning. Uh, who was a constable at the time, recorded a caution statement from one of the accused, Moises Perez. The defense is claiming that several of the defendants were beaten or threatened while in police custody following the discovery and seizure of the plane. In court today, much of the arguments centred on whether Moises Perez was abused in any way. The JP, Martin Cal, was present during the recording of that statement and said he spent a few minutes alone with Perez before he gave the statement. Today, the Senior Magistrate presiding over the matter admitted Perez’s statements so that the court can determine at the end of this voir dire, whether any of the defendants were coerced, beaten, or in any way abused to give their statements. We spoke first to one of the defence attorneys, Leroy Banner, and then to the Head of the Prosecutions Branch, Alifa Elrington.
Leroy Banner, Attorney for Four Accused Drug Traffickers
“The person who recorded the caution statement testified today. It was tendered. So she just mark it to say it is entered into evidence.”
Reporter
What does that mean, because at the end of the voir dire she will decide whether the caution statement will be accepted into evidence is what we understand.
Leroy Banner
“That is so. At this stage, it’s just – we’re going through the process, then she will decide after hearing both sides if it was given freely and voluntarily, then she was admit it into evidence formally. So right now it is just tendering into evidence, and if she decides okay, I’m satisfied that it was given freely in compliance with the Evidence Act, I will admit it. But at this stage, no, we’re not at that stage yet.”
Reporter
“She also said that she is not looking at the content right now. What does that mean?”
Leroy Banner
“Okay, that means – because when it comes to a caution statement, what is important is not the truth of the caution statement. What is important is that when the police got the statement, was it given freely? Was the person beaten? Was he threatened? Those are the questions, so it’s not per se if it’s the truth. We’re not concerned about the truth. We are concerned if the police follow the Evidence Act. Was there any force? Was there any inducement? Was there any promise? Today. We focused on Mr. Perez’ statement. He gave two statements on the 5th and 6th of November 2021. Those are the statements we challenge.”
Alifa Elrington, Head of Prosecutions Dept.
“The defense has been alleging or suggesting that they were beaten and beaten for all the time that they were in police custody and therefore they had no other reason but to give these statements because the police were beating them and beating them. I believe that on the last occasion, I told the court that we would have about 10 witnesses for the voir dire. So if we’re at about six, then I have about four more witnesses.”
Prosecution Addresses Prisoner Complaint
Throughout much of today, the defense based its arguments on the premise that there was police abuse committed against the defendants. This afternoon, the prosecution called JP Martin Cal to testify. He told the court that the statement of defendant, Moises Perez was taken in his presence, during which the police constable, Jose Uh offered him food and water. However, the defense suggested to Cal that he did not ask the defendant whether he was abused prior to the recording of the statement. The cross-examination process, as Elrington explained, can be a tedious one. She addressed that matter as well as an allegation that defendant, Elmer Nah made.
Alifa Elrington, Head, Prosecutions Branch
“The National Forensic Science Service, Mr Cho was one of the co-chairs along with two Justices of the High Court, and we were supposed to be looking at the actual the National Forensic Science Service and how it relates to the Criminal Justice System. What are the difficulties that we all face and how it is that we can make it better.”
Reporter
“The very last thing I wanted to ask on the previous occasion, one of the accused had complained about his transportation detail from the prison. I believe it’s under your purview. I’m not sure you could clarify, but the senior magistrate had said that it’s a matter to be addressed through PSB. I think you may have some involvement, but was that addressed?”
Alifa Elrington
“So technically, prosecution branch is responsible for the transporting of prisoners. Ordinarily, what would happen is that the prison would bring down prisoners in the morning, and then my office is responsible to transport prisoners back in the afternoon because this is a very high-profile case, as Mr Bradley has said countless times in interviews and we’re dealing with a high-profile defendant, we have had to add security measures in the transporting of those two prisoners. So what has happened is that GI-3 is assisting in the transporting of those two prisoners for this particular case. Defense Counsel, Mr Jones did get up and did say to the court that his client made certain complaints to him. Based on what was said, I indicated to the court that as much as it is that he is making that for the court’s knowledge, the proper procedure, if it is that he’s having a difficulty with a police officer, our police officer is doing something that he’s not required to do or he’s not expected to do as a police officer. The proper procedure was to make an official complaint through the Professional Standards Bureau of the Belize Police Department. After that complaint was made, I subsequently got certain information as it relates to the actual transportation. So there is actual video footage of the full transportation of Mr. Nah when he was picked up at the prison, when he was escorted out the prison doors, into the prison van and the prison van is actually secured also with video cameras at the front and at the back. So his entire transportation while he was on that prison van was also recorded.”
Belize City Man Charged For Assaulting Girlfriend
A Belize City man was arraigned today for harm after he allegedly assaulted his girlfriend because she refused to have intercourse with him. The incident happened on March first and the accused is twenty-three-year-old Kenyon Flores. The woman says when she refused Flores’ advances, he got angry and accused her of cheating. That is when Flores allegedly choked her and slammed her head on a table while hitting her several times in the face. She told police that she got a knife and cut Flores in the knee to defend herself. Flores was brought before the Magistrates Court this afternoon to answer to a single charge of harm. He pleaded not guilty. There was no objection to bail, but the prosecutor did ask the court to set bail conditions to protect the complainant. That is when Flores flipped the story and told the court that his girlfriend stabbed him because he got a text on his phone. We briefly heard from Flores outside the courtroom.
Reporter
“Sure you don’t want to talk to me, you don’t want to tell me your side.”
Kenyon Flores, Accused of Assaulting Girlfriend
“Deh done do what deh do mein. Deh done please deh self.”
Reporter
“Why the gial stab yo? Just give me your side.”
Kenyon Flores
“She get vex because deh mih the call me and she seh me disrespectful, so she stab me.”
Reporter
Dah wah girlfriend relationship?
Kenyon Flores
“Yah.”
Flores was granted bail in the sum of one thousand dollars plus one surety of the same amount which he met. Flores next court date is set for May sixteenth.
Police Respond To Claims That Arrested Immigration Officer Is A “Scapegoat”
On Monday, thirty-one-year-old Monique Escalante, a junior immigration officer, was arraigned on a charge of extortion. She is accused of extorting six thousand dollars from Jamaican national Janhoi Richards. Allegations are that Escalante demanded Richards pay the sum and claimed she was entitled to do so as an immigration officer. Escalante’s attorney, Audrey Matura, claims that these allegations have no truth to them and that her client is being used as a scapegoat to cover up the misdeeds of officers of higher rank. We asked Commissioner of Police Chester Willams about these claims.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“I don’t expect the attorney to say otherwise. That’s her job to make her client appear to be innocent. I’m not the arbitrary of the facts. I can only present the facts as they are and the court at the end of the day is going to determine her guilt or innocence. But I know for a fact that there is surveillance footage showing the immigration officer going to an ATM with the complainant and the complainant sought to withdraw money from his credit card, but that did not materialize. We also have surveillance footage to show that the complainant was held at the airport for extended hours. At one point in time the airport actually closed and they were still there with him. And the video footage shows certain things that supports the information provided by the complainant. I’m not going to say the immigration officer is innocent or guilty. Like I said, I’m not the one who’s going to decide that, but from an police standpoint, we have sufficient to have lead the charges against her.”
Reporter
“And are you able to say whether or not the complainant had attempted to leave the country via the northern border?”
Chester Williams
“As far as I’m aware, no.”