7 News Belize

Michael Silva Brought Into San Ignacio Police, Attorney says Cops Knew His Whereabouts
posted (November 7, 2013)
Michael Silva - he's the son of former PUP Minister Dan Silva - and accused of the September 2011 murder of his 19 year old girlfriend Maritza Santos. He was accused of killing her with a blow to the head, and then trying to kill himself by drinking a herbicide. She died, but he didn't. He was taken to a private hospital from which police agreed to let him go to Guatemala to get treatment for near death internal injuries caused by the poisoning.

That was in 2011, but he never came back, and in the middle of this year, Belize Police put out an Interpol warrant for him as a fugitive. Well, he's not a fugitive anymore. This morning at 11:15, accompanied by his father Dan Silva he turned himself into Cayo police. They were ready for him, and at 1:30 he was taken to court where he was arraigned for murder, and by 2:00 pm, he was put on the bus for the Kolbe Central Prison where he is to be remanded. His attorney Dickie Bradley spoke to PLUSTV in Cayo. He claims Silva was never a fugitive - that he was receiving treatment - albeit for two years:

Dickie Bradley, attorney
"The doctors were keeping both himself and his family inform of his progress of the fact that he was mentally strong enough to understand that "listen, the police are going to charge you" - and so that would require additional psychiatric treatment so that he can prepare himself that when he comes home he will not be with his family, he will go straight into a dungeon. They were keeping the family abreast and the family were keeping the police inform and when the medical officers gave him a discharge they informed the police and the police says as soon as he is ready to come into the country alert us so that we can detained him and proceed to do whatever it is that they would have done."

"I suspect that in fact the family notified the police and when he was brought in he was handed over to the police officers and so he was in custody and he was charged for murder (It's a capital offence) today and taken before the magistrate. The police was kept abreast of where he was and the police even ask the assistance of Interpol which is the international police organization, who kept Belize police abreast of which medical facility he was attending."

"He had to go two separate types of treatment; 1) to try and protect his from the damaged cause to the internal organs by drinking poison and, 2) Of course, a person who has reached that stage of trying to take his life. The doctors in Guatemala also advised that in fact he should undergo therapy, so that he could be prepared to in fact put everything behind him and face up to going on with his life in relation to what he had tried to do."

"It is unfortunate because you know out here we are judge and jury and although I know you are a religious man and the bible says a judger is a sinner. The situation is that the fact that he drank poison is in no way indicating that somehow he committed a crime and is also trying to kill himself. This is a situation because it is going to come up for trial - it is unfair for me to say too much but the evidence against Mr. Silva is not strong evidence. There is no evidence that he killed anyone - that he killed that young lady. In fact they were madly in love with each other."

In July, the Amandala reported that Silva had been seen in various parts of Guatemala and that pictures had been posted on facebook of Silva and a new girlfriend - which is what, the paper says, prompted police to issue the Interpol warrant.

In January of 2012, Maritza Santos's despairing mother Maura Larius spoke to 7news about her raw anger that her daughter's killer would not be brought to justice:..

Maura Larius - Mother
"She was a hard worker, very friendly; she used to talk to anybody. It's not fair. Why did he do that to my daughter? I want to know why. If he didn't love her, why didn't he just leave her? Wouldn't that have been better? That's what I would want to know. Why didn't he just leave her, why kill her? Not like he is God. And that is why I hope that he surrenders himself, and I can see justice because it really hurts me. Do you think I am living well? It's just not fair; they're living the good life. I hope I can see justice. I miss her a lot. I still haven't gone to visit her at the cemetery because I feel so awful and I want justice. I ask God, how can these people with money get away with this?"

Michael Silva arrived at the prison this afternoon. He returns to court on 23rd January, 2014. His father Dan Silva is contesting a convention for the PUP in Cayo Central in a month's time.

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