7 News Belize

Man Found Dead With Hands Tied, Mouth Bound
posted (November 11, 2014)
And while Belmopan police have suspects in their first murder for 2014, Belize City police don't have much to go on in a murder that happened sometime over the weekend.

56 year old William Garbutt's body was found last night - but Monica Bodden found out that he had likely been killed from sometime over the weekend. Here's her story:...

Voice Of: Cousin of the Deceased
"As far as I know it's my aunt who found out about it. One of the neighbors called her and told her the situation. Then this morning my cousin text me about after 6am to tell that they found Bill dead in the house."

Monica Bodden reporting
58 year old William Garbutt - known to many as Bill was found dead inside his home. Police visited his Pine Street address around 10 last night after neighbors reported of a foul scent coming from inside the bungalow house.

Garbutt was found partially decomposed - with his hands tied behind his back and his face tied with a rag. We were told that it was a blue bandana - A symbol associated with the Crips gangsters.

Ironically he lives in a Crip territory - known as the infamous Ghost Town. But his neighborhood was just as shocked by the news as everyone else - because Bill was loved and respected by everyone. In fact in that neighborhood is where he lived most of his life.

Voice Of: Cousin of the Deceased
"My aunt told me that they found him in the house and that he was covered with a mattress and his hands were tied up - that's what the police say. Well we will see if it is murder because his hands were tied up. We will just wait there until they do the autopsy by Belizean Beach. We are not sure about Estradabran and his autopsy yet."

Garbutt was last seen on Friday night going home sometime after 11:30. He was spotted by a security guard who noticed him bleeding.

Many believe his killer followed him home to finish him off.

Voice Of: Cousin of the Deceased
"It has to be murder because his hands were tied in the back, then he was slough over with his hands tied at the back and a mattress they sad was on top of him. So he can't do that to himself. He is 58 years old and he doesn't mess with anyone, I mean yes he has a problem, but he doesn't let his problem interfere with anyone. He hustles; he washes cars, he does everything for himself to make his money."

On the crime scene we spoke with a close friend of Garbutt. She was still in disbelief at the tragedy.

Voice of: Friend of Deceased
"Bill was my very good friend, I am here every day with him. Every single day I come to check on Bill. I come to smoke weed and he takes his little draw and we would talk about all kinds of things and I would bring money for him every single day."

The last time she saw Bill was on Friday night. Over the weekend she went to his home on several occasion looking for him - but his doors and windows were all locked.

Monica Bodden
"When was the last time you saw him?"

Voice of: Friend of Deceased
"Friday night, 7pm I was here with him and we were talking. I brought $5 for him and I told him I was going to a wake, so I left from here like 9:10pm - that was the last time I saw Bill. We were talking and he was laughing. Maybe that was his last time you know."

Monica Bodden
"I understand that you came back on Saturday to check on him."

Voice of: Friend of Deceased
"I came back on Saturday because as I told you I like to come here to take my little draw. I behave badly when I am ready and then I would come here to smoke. When I came I saw his door shut and his bag was out here with his pints. So I say that he not too far because he doesn't usually left his pints outside. So I went to sit at the back and I stayed like an hour because he didn't come and then I went again and then I home and then I went to hustle out at Publics Supermarket. I said that I will come back to check on him again because I had hustle $2 -$3 to bring for him. When I come again, he wasn't here and I see his bag the same way and I say that he must have gone to the bus terminal to hustle because he hustles out there too. So I stayed a while and went again and I come back again. That was like after 10pm Saturday night. He wasn't here and I said that I will come back on Sunday morning because I usually come and tell him what number played in the lottery. When I came on Sunday, the padlock was on the door, the door was still lock and so I left and went to inquire with the neighbor if they hasn't seen Bill. The young man who owns a vehicle right there, he was asking for Bill and I said that I didn't see him. He told me that the watchman told him that he saw Bill Friday night coming with blood about after 2am."

So far police have no suspect for this latest homicide.

Douglas Hyde - Police Press Officer
"On Monday, November 10th, 2014, at about 9:48 p.m., acting upon information received by police we visited 6 Pine Street where the lifeless, partially decomposed body of a male person identified as William Garbutt, fifty-six-year-old Belizean, unemployed, of the same address, with his hands tied behind his back and his face tied with a cloth and an apparent wound to the forehead. Initial police investigation revealed that William Garbutt was last seen alive on Friday 7th November, 2014 sometime after 11:30pm going home at the above mentioned address and was not seen since then. On November 10th, 2014 at 9:38pm the neighbors in the area called the police when they smell a stench coming from the house. I believe a postmortem was conducted this afternoon but the results have not been given yet to the police because proper identification has not given yet of the person. Police continue its investigation."

Reporter
"Did you receive reports that when he was making his way home he was bleeding?"

Douglas Hyde - Police Press Officer
"Yes we understand that there was some incident and the police ae looking at that incident that we understand that he was in a fight and he was bleeding. The police are following up on that investigation likewise."

Reporter
"Any idea as to where that fight have taken place"

Douglas Hyde - Police Press Officer
"Police are following up on that information."

Because of the advanced state of decomposition, police did the post mortem at a location outside the city.

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