7 News Belize

Teenaged First Former Victim Of Mistaken Identity In Gang War
posted (December 17, 2012)
And so while that murder happened in Belize City as a direct consequence of the Parkfest Gang Brawl - the aftermath was still being felt the next night, Sunday - al the way in Lord's Bank.

According to reliable sources - gunmen were looking for a gang affiliated personality who lives in Lord's Bank on Sunday night as part of an ongoing retaliation. But they ended up executing a young man whose only wrong was having a slight physical resemblance to the intended target.

That error resulted in the slaying of a blameless teenager. Jules Vasquez was at the scene:

Jules Vasquez Reporting

Fifteen year old Dayne Bodden Jr lay dead on the side of Parks Road - crumpled over his bicycle last night.

Just before 8 last night, the first former who worked tending horses in the morning and evening - had gone to collect his pay and was riding home when a gunman came out of these bushes and shot him to the head, chest and foot.

The teenager died on the spot - the few dollars he had earned still in his waist.

Sources say the shooters were in these bushes lying in wait for a tall, dark skinned male who lives in the area and has known gang affiliations in the city.

But they mistook Dayne who is 6 feet tall and killed him. That is no consolation for his father, Dayne Sr:

Dayne Bodden Sr. - Father of Deceased
"There is no mistaken identity in this country. You killed someone; you killed my son, point blank. You wanted to do that, and you did that. Why should I be called and my son is on the ground, a gunshot wound to the head, like my sone is a part of whatever happen in this country? First thing's first, they don't have anything to offer them, not even protection. I have been frantic over the years, you know Jules, because I am a street figure. I made a choice. I didn't get in too deep, and so I step aside, and I saw the tide. I have friends on every corner. It's ridiculous, some of those people are affiliated or responsible for this killing, and they are probably good friends with me. They probably have their secrets."

Last night, Parks Road was blocked with thick traffic - it seemed all of the village came out to see.

But today life went on as normal in Lord's Bank - the mile or so he rode from his home to Parks Road with its usual traffic - no mark of his demise at the spot where he fell.

His classroom at Ladyville Technical was empty: today would have been his first day of Christmas Vacation - and here at Ladyville technical he is remembered as being exceptionally quiet and well behaved - as disarming and easygoing as he appears in his picture.

Dayne Bodden Sr.
"Every day, he gets up in the morning 5 o'clock, and we work until 6 o'clock, go back home get dress, go to school, and after his school day is done, he goes at 5, and do another hour working until 6. He is a first former, a black male in this country. You know, we're very resourceful."

But last night - all that lay wasted on the edge of a darkened road. The family had to wait over two hours for police to process the scene and finally take the body to the morgue.

Dayne Bodden Sr.
"I don't see the need for any police department, or any investigator to have my son on the ground for no hour or 2, when they didn't find anything, never have and never will. A father had to stand up out there and watch his son, the Jr., on the ground like that, and can't do anything."

And now the teenager's passing has left his father with a grim outlook on the future:

Dayne Bodden Sr.
"What are these people thinking about? How much of this negativity will happen in this country? How many more promising black youths will die in this country. I, as a person, have no hope that any changes will be made in this country, either by disaster or civil war. They'll have to break it down, to build it back up again, Jules, because you ever heard the phrase, 'this crowd gone for good'. No, the black people are gone for good. We're failing and going down and down, yeah, we have no come back to come back. So, for those who want to continue this trend, continue it, I will do my best to protect my other 4 sons. I will try to make sure that this doesn't happen ever again."

Police have no suspects in this murder.

Today, Dayne's Principal from Laydville Tech, Diane Parks sent us a mail saying that he was caring, pleasant and quiet. She also noted his love for the horses which he tended daily.

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