7 News Belize

Man Beaten To Death In City
posted (March 11, 2014)
There's been a modest upswing in crime in Belize City in 2014, and today - after a relatively quiet long weekend - another murder was reported. In this case, a body was found up the Western Highway near the Belfoam factory near mile two and a half on the Western Highway. Monica Bodden was on the scene and found out that police believe 47 year old Arthur Conner was beaten to death. Here's her story:..

Monica Bodden reporting
This morning police were called to a murder scene at mile one and a half on the Western Highway. The body of a man was found inside an abandon vehicle in the Belize Foam Factory compound. He was later identified as 47 year old Arthur Conner who police believe was beaten to death. 7news was on the scene and here's our story.

The body of 47 year old Arthur Conner was discovered by police inside this abandoned van- at around 8:15 this morning.

Police say they received a call of an electrocution at mile 1 and half on the Western Highway- but when they arrived on the scene, they saw Conner covered in blood with injuries to his upper body - which suggested he was viciously beaten to death.

Cpl Jorge Lemus, Precinct Two
"Acting upon information received from the control room at Raccoon Street on Tuesday 11th March, 2014 at about 8:20 pm of an electrocuted body at 1.5 Miles George Price Highway besides the foam factory. CIB personnel's from Precinct 2 visited the area and upon their arrival they observed a white in color abandoned van that was being used as a living quarters. Checks made inside the van revealed a motionless body of a dark complexion male person laying face up in a pool of blood with several body injuries."

"Initial investigation reveals that the deceased Mr. Arthur Conner who is 47 years old - a Belizean laborer of a ring road address Belize City. He was last seen alive sometime around 9:30 pm on Monday 10th March 2014 where he was involved in an altercation inside the said abandoned van with another dark male person who purportedly inflicted the said injuries to him. The body is now awaiting a post mortem at the KHMH morgue."

In an off camera interview with 7news his daughter told us, he left home at around 9 last night to go visit his brother who lives in the Faber's Road area. He never returned and the family received the tragic news of his death around 8 this morning.

Voice of Daughter
"I saw him around 9pm last night when he came home. He relaxed a little bit and then he borrowed my sister bike and he told us he was going to get some clothes from his brother on Faber's Road. That was the last time I saw him."

Monica Bodden
"From what you understand happen last night - on his way to his brother, do you know if he stops somewhere to socialize?"

Voice of Daughter
"I think that he stop to socialize with the young man because he knew him from he was little. If he call him he will stop at him and right there something went wrong because one man is dead and the other is burst up and what happened to the other one?"

Monica Bodden
"From what you understand how many of them were socializing?"

Voice of Daughter
"Three of them; the victim, the witness and the murderer who got away - three of them were together."

Monica Bodden
"You mentioned earlier that the witness had injuries."

Voice of Daughter
"Yes, his fists were bruise up like when you are beating somebody and his hand and knuckle are dug up."

Monica Bodden
"He was left with your stepfather's cell phone?"

Voice of Daughter
"He had my stepfather cell phone and the man that killed him has his (witness) phone. That is how the police caught up to him."

Monica Bodden
"He called police at what time? Do you know?"

Voice of Daughter
"Maybe like after 8 this morning because it was after 8 I went to my neighbor hollering for him and I heard the siren and I told my neighbor about the siren and little after that my stepfather brother came here running and ask where is his brother and I told him that your brother went to look for you from last night. He said that he didn't reach and that a man was found up the road dead. He asks me to go with him to see if it was his brother."

According to police, a stone covered in blood was found inside the abandoned van - that is believed to have been the murder weapon used on Conner.

Monica Bodden
"When you saw him this morning, could you describe his injuries to me?"

Voice of Daughter
"He was burst up because the sheet that he was in was bloody and his white clothes that he had on were also red."

So far two persons of interest have been picked up by police. The family says one of the men was raised as a child by Conner.

Rose Conner - Wife of Deceased
"I went to the station and I took a statement and they told me who they think did it and I am so surprise at him because my husband raise him like his own child - clothe him and feed him. That child my husband took as his own when his family didn't want him because he was an out of order child. My husband took him, feed and clothe him. He was like 10 -11 years old back then. So it surprise to know knowing that it's him. But all I could say to him is why did he do it and I just left it in God's hands because that's all that I can do."

Monica Bodden
"The family strongly believes that maybe this witness was also involved in your stepfather's murder?"

Voice of Daughter
"Yes ma'am, because he was burst up and he ended up with his phone. This morning when my mother call him, he answered and he said wrong number, he told my sister-in-law wrong number also."

On Sunday night Arthur Conner was attacked in the same area and had to receive medical treatment at the KHMH on Monday morning - just hours before his murder.

Rose Conner - Wife of Deceased
"He call me Sunday night and told me, he said they nearly killed me and I said who - he said some little boys and that he knew one of their voice, but he couldn't see them because it was dark. He said that they whap him in his head back."

Monica Bodden
"This was around which neighborhood?"

Rose Conner - Wife of Deceased
"The same neighborhood, he was leaving his brother house to come home which he always do - he always traffic through there."

Monica Bodden
"They hit him, he was walking from his brother house on Sunday night coming home but last night he was riding going to his brother house."

And while police are piecing together this latest homicide, the family of Arthur Conner wants justice for their loved one.

Rose Conner - Wife of Deceased
"We been together for 18 years and the 10th May would have been our 14 anniversary and just Sunday morning we were talking and telling each other that we won't this anything for the anniversary - we were going on a road trip him and I. It's hard because he was never a troublesome person. When I quarrel with my husband, he would pick up and go about his business. He has never hit me or any of my kids. He raises all my children and he never hit any of them. It's hard for me to lose him just like that. If it was due to a sickness, I wouldn't have felt it like this - but God, they took away my husband from me and we are young yet - we are still people who are living a life."

So far police are questioning 2 persons of interest. Conner was an employee of Caribbean Depot and leaves behind 5 children.

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