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Two Found Slain On Northern Ambergris
posted (February 19, 2015)
Drug related Violence continues to plague northern Ambergris Caye - and this time, it has resulted in two more dead men.

The police medical examiner had to conduct an onsite post mortem today on the bodies which were found in very shallow graves before midday yesterday at an area 11 and a half miles north of San Pedro Town. The two men, have since been identified as 41 year-old Selvin Chi and 23 year-old Benjamin Molina.

They were reported missing by 51 year-old Jose Wagner who lives half a mile from where they were found. He told police that at about 5:00 a.m. yesterday, both men - who are his co-workers - left his house to go collect coconuts, for their coconut oil enterprise. They never came back and he called the police who came upon a blood trail about five hours later. Police intensified their search in the area of the blood trail, and that's when they discovered the bodies of both men.

Today, Superintendent Hilberto Romero discussed the case with the media:

Supt. Hilberto Romero - OC, CIB Eastern Division
"San Pedro police visited an area 11 miles south of San Pedro where they found the body of Selvin Chi and Benjamin Molina in a shallow grave. The doctor is presently in San Pedro conducting those post mortems and the information the police has gathered is that they went to that area to do some sort of work. They were not found after. A missing person report was made which led the other persons to conduct searches and as a result they discovered these persons in a shallow grave."

Daniel Ortiz
"Are you able to tell us if they suffered injuries, violence?"

Supt. Hilberto Romero - OC, CIB Eastern Division
"Yes, they had gunshot injuries."

Daniel Ortiz
"What is the police in San Pedro seen so far in relation to the death of these two men? It is drug related?"

Supt. Hilberto Romero - OC, CIB Eastern Division
"Again, we have investigators out there. Additional police personnel was sent there today and they are conducting that investigation. At this time that is the only information we have, that they went there to do some sort of work and never return and were reported missing."

Both men were murdered execution-style, each shot to the head. At this time, police say there have no concrete leads on. Of important note is that the area where they were found is well-known for the increased drug activity where playadors - or beach combers - go searching for cocaine wet drops day and night.

The line of inquiry, at this time, is that these men may have seen or found something, and this is why they were killed.

Police have records of Selvin Chi for charges ranging from possession of pipe to drug trafficking, so they have encountered him before. In the case of Benjamin Molina, police believe that he may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is originally from Corozal Town, and his mother reported to them that he recently left his home to go to San Pedro where he met up with Chi and Wagner, presumably for the coconut oil business.

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