7 News Belize

Keyren Kills…but Police Say It’s Not Murder
posted (July 20, 2015)
24 year-old Coast Guard officer Keyren Tzib made national headlines in April when she was accused of shooting a male officer in the back of the head with her service M4 Carbine. Well tonight, she's back in the news after her common-law husband, 30 year-old Thytis Blancaneaux, was found dead in their home in the Spanish Town area of Lords Bank Village on Saturday afternoon at around 2.

The couple had a domestic dispute, which escalated and became tragic. Police say that in the confrontation she pulled a knife and stabbed him in the shoulder. He bled out and died where he fell, in a pool of his own blood. Police found the murder weapon and Ms. Tzib at the scene. She has been charged - but not for murder - Daniel Ortiz put together the narrative to find out why:

Daniel Ortiz reporting
Ladyville police found 30 year-old Thytis Blancaneaux here in his yard, in Lords Bank. That's where he collapsed, right at the front door of his outside kitchen. He had been stabbed only once to the shoulder by his common-law wife, Keyren Tzib.

They were reportedly socializing, and consuming alcohol and then a fight broke out. It escalated unexpectedly, and ended in tragedy.

Supt. Hilberto Romero - OC CIB Eastern Division
"Information that we gathered is that at the time they were consuming alcohol and there were like about 4 persons that were in the area when this stabbing occurred."

Daniel Ortiz
"Have you been able to establish what lead to the stabbing sir? Was there some sort of argument?"

Supt. Hilberto Romero
"They had a domestic dispute. They had some argument. They had a fight between both of them; they had a struggle that lead to Tzib stabbing him to the shoulder."

Their landlord, Max Tejeda, was there the entire time, and he witnessed the verbal confrontations they were having from the time they started drinking until the time police came to retrieve Blancaneaux's body. He recounted for us what he saw.

Max Tejeda - Landlord/Eyewitness
"We were socializing together with Tzib and his boyfriend and another girl friend. What happened is that they start arguing and out of that arguing her husband who is Blancaneaux, jumped up and hit Tzib somewhere around her ear corner and then they got in here and came out from here and then Blancaneaux went over that side and got a piece of bamboo and start hitting Tzib with this bamboo, breaking the bamboo on her. Then they cooled off for a while and then I myself intervene and another female intervene. So then he attacked Tzib again 'girl, I will do you something' or something like that he told her and when he went to attack her, apparently Tzib had the knife in her hand and just bend and stick him with the knife right here (in his shoulder) and he walked away from over there and came here where I am and fell down here. He said to me 'Max, call the police.' At that time Tzib didn't know that this guy died. She knew nothing that he died. Tzib came in here and stand right here at this door here and he (Blancaneaux) was laying right down at the door here. My son and another guy went out to buy. When they came here (we are all friends together) and when they bend down and looked at him and my son said 'but this guy is dead.' When he said that, Tzib bend down and watched him and then she started to cry. Then she realized that this guy is dead for real. Shortly after that the police men reached and screen off the area and just like how you all are asking me questions, is the same thing I said to them."

At the point Police couldn't say if Tzib would be charged with any offense.

Sr. Supt. Edward Broaster - Commander, Eastern Division Rural
"At this time we are looking at the facts and determining whether or not she will be charged or not."

Reporter
"Have you consult with the DPP on this matter?"

Sr. Supt. Edward Broaster
"Yes we did."

Supt. Hilberto Romero - OC CIB Eastern Division
"The case was sent to the DPP; the statements and she has indicated that Tzib is not to be charged for murder. So we are reviweing the file. By the end of the day we will determine if any charges will be levied on her."

Daniel Ortiz
"What other offences are you all considering at this time?"

Supt. Hilberto Romero
"We are considering manslaughter. We will review the file again and see what if any charge will be levied."

Mike Rudon, CH5
"Is there any scenario in which (just asking) may be by precedence, where she will not be charge for any offence?"

Supt. Hilberto Romero
"That is a possibility. Again, at the end of the day, we will decide what, if any charges to be levied."

The reason police investigators weren't sure if they were going to charge her or not is because there are reports that Blancaneaux was abusive

Max Tejeda - Landlord/Eyewitness
"They are talks and a lot of violence almost every day. Sometime they come to clashed between the two of them, right over there - that's daily routine. But on to this case is the very first time and the last time."

It's the last time because Blancaneaux's life was cut short, something which police believe could have been prevented had they been informed in a timely manner

Sr. Supt. Edward Broaster
"This is clear indication where this could have been prevented if we had people who had seen what was taken place, say something and would have been able to stop this from happening. Hence the reason why we are campaigning on this slogan "If you see something, you say something, you may just stop something.""

This evening, Keyren Tzib was escorted to the Belize City Magistrate's Court where she was arraigned before the Chief Magistrate, Ann Marie Smith, for the single charge of manslaughter. No plea was taken, and she was remanded to prison until her next court date, which is set for September 8.

She was already on bail for charges of attempted murder, dangerous harm, and use of deadly means of harm which she allegedly committed against Coast Guard Officer Kurt Hyde. She is awaiting a Supreme Court trial for those offenses.

She also has a Military Services Commission hearing which has been postponed pending the outcome of the trial for the shooting of Officer Hyde. The commission was determining her mental fitness to serve as a law enforcement officer under the Coast Guard.

Of course, the very important backdrop to all this is that as a Coast Guard with the rank of Seaman - Tzib alleged last year that she had been raped on Coast Guard premises by fellow male officers. Internal and police investigations were conducted but none of them were conclusive and charges could not be brought.

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