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Man Fatally Stabbed 22 Times In Nightclub Restroom
posted (January 28, 2013)
UB Students got the streets of Belmopan warmed up today with a small protest of their own. And we'll have that for you a little later on in the news.

But first, the weekend witnessed the 13th murder of 2013. This one happened in San Pedro at a nightclub where a 25 year old was hunted down and stabbed to death in a nightclub restroom.

Tonight, the family of Byron Estrada Espat are awaiting a post mortem on his body - so that they can proceed with funeral arrangements. Daniel Ortiz travelled to the island yesterday where he spoke to his grieving mother and to police investigators.

Here's his report:

Priscilla Espat - Mother of Deceased
"I can't take the pain. It's now 2 sons that they've taken away from me, Charlie Espat, and Byron. And you know what? It's not fair because the law hasn't done anything about it."

Reporter
"What is the police saying about the assassination, and how is the investigation going?"

Priscilla Espat - Mother of Deceased "They are saying that my son is involved in drugs. That's not true; he is not a drug dealer. I know 100% that he works hard."

Daniel Ortiz reporting
With those troubling suspicions, the family of 25 year-old Byron Estrada Espat is trying to figure out what led to his brutal, violent end.

His body was found by police inside the Daddy Rock Night Club in the early hours of Saturday morning. Police say that he was fatally stabbed in the restroom.

Supt. Luis Castellanos - OC, San Pedro Police
"We received information of a stabbing incident at the Daddy Rock Disco. As a result we responded and upon arriving at the disco they found Byron Estrada, 25 years old, who was seen bleeding from his neck area, chest and back. As a result police transported him to the polyclinic here in San Pedro and at 4:32am he passed away. Apparently the victim entered into the bathroom and whilst inside the bathroom he was stabbed. He came out when the disco was still in function and ran towards the bar where he collapsed. Persons assisted him and took him downstairs."

Espat's family members say that he was involved in some sort of argument earlier that day, and when he went to the club, he was with a female companion.

He noticed that there were men following him, so he reportedly directed his companion to flee to safety. He tried to take refuge in the club's bathroom, but his resourceful assailants managed to slip a knife into the establishment, and they followed him.

Shortly after, he was attacked and stabbed multiple times:

Supt. Luis Castellanos - OC, San Pedro Police
"I personally counted about 22 stab wounds to the Estrada's body."

While the investigation is still yet in its infancy, police believe that they have promising leads:

Supt. Luis Castellanos - OC, San Pedro Police
"So far we have detained some persons for questioning and we believe that one of them may be able to assist us in our investigation. We found some what we would say appears to be blood on the clothing of a person we have detained but yet we cannot confirm. Only when the forensics does their part then we will be able to confirm to say if it is blood or no blood on the clothing of the gentleman."

But Even though police are making headway with this particular case, Espat's mother says that there is a bigger issue because there is an individual known to them who has issued death threats against her family in the past.

Priscilla Espat
"You know what? That man wants my children and me dead. He has said, 'one by one, we are all going to die. I don't know what he has against me. I want him in front of me, so that I can ask him, why, why does he have something against me."

Bryon Espat is the 3rd male that his family has lost, and understandably they are very angry and suspicious about the possible connections between the 3.

Viewers may remember that the bodies of his younger brother, 18 year old Charlie Espat, and his cousin, 17 year old Daniel Alamilla, were found in an advanced state of decomposition, in an area North East of Santa Martha Village, in the Orange Walk district. That was in June of last year, and since then, their murders, which were believed to be drug related, remain unsolved.

Well, as noted in the interview, police have 3 men detained, and they are awaiting the instructions from the DPP's Office before the case proceeds any further.

His post mortem is scheduled for tomorrow.

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