7 News Belize

Third Matura Brother Killed
posted (May 16, 2012)
This morning at 7:00 am - a man was killed in Belize City. 28 year old Kaylon Matura was going to work - when a gunman pulled up and shot him multiple times.

Matura has dodged death two times before - but this morning - he could not - and he became the third of the Matura brothers to be murdered in the city.

Indeed, he was stalked by death, but according to his family - in this case they believe it is a case of mistaken identity. Monica Bodden found out more today:

Monica Bodden Reporting

The shooting happened on Central American Boulevard just before 7 o'clock this morning.

The victim - 29 year old Kaylon Matura was standing on this sidewalk just yards away from his house -when a gunman pulled up and opened fire on him.

Matura tried to run but tumble in front of his front gate. The gunmen then continued to fire shots at him.

His common-law-wife of 8 years was inside their home along with his 4 children. They heard the entire commotion.

Voice of: Nathalie McKenzie - Common-law Wife of Deceased
"This morning, I got up, and I asked him if he was going to work, to which he said he would. He said that he was only going to sign in, and he would come back. I said that I wouldn't have to make any sandwiches then, since it was raining. I told him to show me the thing on the car that I had to move when I am driving. He said he would, and he walked out before me; I turned back to get my umbrella. I didn't get it right away; I went to my daughter because she was making some cup noodles in the microwave. So I was showing her the amount of water that she was to put in there, and that was when we heard the shots."

Reporter
"How many shots?"

Voice of: Nathalie McKenzie
"I heard 8 shots, and when I heard the shots, I told my daughter that it was 'Dad'. She said, 'Yes, mommy, it's Dad. Look at him running with his back bleeding.'"

Reporter
"Your daughter saw this?"

Voice of: Nathalie McKenzie
"Yes, through the kitchen window, she said, 'Look at dad's back bleeding. See, the boy is still shooting him?' So we started to bawl, and I grabbed a slipper. I ran outside, when I looked, I saw him on the ground."

Matura was shot twice in the chest and once in the chin. He fell in front of his gateway. Bleeding profusely -he was taken to the hospital in the pan of a police pick-up truck.

Voice of: Nathalie McKenzie
"Because I was shouting 'Kaylon', and he was breathing. It was like he was trying to get up."

Monica Bodden
"He received gunshot wounds to where?"

Voice of: Nathalie McKenzie
"I saw a gunshot wound in his back, but I don't know if it was from the back that he got shot, or if it was probably from the chest. I saw blood, and when the GSU - because some GSU officers came - I asked them to please pick up Kaylon and take him to the hospital. They told me that they couldn't move him; ambulance has to move him. I had the car, but you know when you are panicked - well, I wasn't thinking about coming inside, getting the car keys and taking him to the hospital. I don't think I would have been able to drive. So, a white pickup came the same time to pick him up, but the GSU ended picking him up and taking him to the hospital. He was still breathing."

According to police Matura was pronounced dead on arrival at the KHMH. But family member says he was still breathing but no one rushed him into the emergency room.

Voice of: Nathalie McKenzie
"When I went to the morgue, honestly, I saw like he was breathing, because of one of the sisters, they met the GSU pickup outside of the hospital with Kaylon still inside. Instead of them taking into the emergency, they took him to the morgue. I don't know if the GSU are certified doctors to pronounce him dead -"

Reporter
"Who pronounced him dead?"

Voice of: Nathalie McKenzie
"I don't know which doctor pronounced him dead, but the GSU offficers took him straight to the morgue instead of the emergency room."

Reporter
"And it was there that he was pronounced dead."

Voice of: Nathalie McKenzie
"Yes, well I went to the hospital an hour ago to see him."

Kaylon Matura was employed with the Ministry of Works for almost 4 years. According to his common-law-wife, many of the men Matura worked with would normally gather in front of their home every morning before heading to work. She believes Matura was not the intended target; he was just the unfortunate one.

Voice of: Nathalie McKenzie
"I feel like it's - anybody who came out that morning because usually, they are work crews. Early around this time, this yard usually has a lot of friends who work together. They meet up here, smoke a little joint, and they would then go to work."

Monica Bodden
"Work with whom?"

Voice of: Nathalie McKenzie
"They work with the Ministry of Works, and I just feel like Kaylon is the unfortunate one. Kaylon hasn't - he didn't have a - he didn't have a charge sheet for shooting anybody. He hasn't killed anybody. He is not like that. Yes - I won't say that he is a saint, but he didn't have that record that he was a known criminal, or he gone to kill anybody or other things like that."

Kaylon was the father of four children. Police have the name of a known suspect but this person has not been detained as yet.

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