Yesterday evening in the Supreme Court, it took a jury 3 hours to convict Guatemalan
national Dennis Torres of murder for slicing his friend to death because of
a stolen radio. It occurred in April of 2002 when the victim, a male Adali Morales
was murdered on a farm in the Rivera area of Belmopan. Friends say prior to
the murder, Torres told them Morales stole a radio from him and that "he
would pay for it."
An eyewitness to the murder, Enrique Gonzales, testified in court that he saw
Torres sharpening a machete which he then used to slice Morales' throat. During
the trial two more witnesses, Wilfredo Lemus and Ramon Escobar Arilas testified
that after the murder, Torres asked them to help bury Morales' body. All that
happened in April of 2002 but it wasn't until July of that year that a report
was made to police. Police say once in custody Morales verbally confessed and
he was then taken to the alleged burial spot and lowered into a well where he
came up with what appeared to be a leg bone. We say that it was "what appeared
to be a leg bone" because in court the police's medical expert couldn't
say if it was Morales' bone or even if it was a human bone. Nevertheless, yesterday
evening a jury of 12 convicted Torres of murder. Justice Adolph Lucas has reserved
sentencing until December 22nd. The case was prosecuted by senior crown counsel
Majorie Moyston while Colleen Lewis defended Torres.
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