7 News Belize

“Bad Man Business” Caught Banner In Belize City
posted (July 11, 2016)
That was Saturday morning before the city awoke, and by the time it was going to sleep there would be another murder in the very same area. Around 9:10, 29 year-old Roger Banner was sitting on the railing of a bridge over East Canal, talking to his girlfriend when a gunman suddenly appeared and shot him in the head.

Police say he was not killed due to gang violence but due to his alleged connections to drug trafficking. Shortly after the shooting on Saturday, 7News was on the scene and Daniel Ortiz reports:

Daniel Ortiz reporting
29 year-old Roger Banner, a resident of Roaring Creek Village, was found murdered here on the corner of West Canal Street and Bishop Street one block from Public's Super Market in Belize City. He had suffered multiple gunshots shot to the head, injuries which killed him on the spot, right where the gunman executed him.

ACP Chester Williams - Commander, Eastern Division South
"Police were called to West Canal Street, Belize City, that is near Public Supermarket. Upon arrival police observed the lifeless body of one, Roger William Banner, who was lying on the street with what appeared to be multiple gunshot wounds to head and body area. He was transported to the KHMH and was pronounced dead on arrival. Police investigation into that matter so far, had led us to three persons of interest who are currently in our custody and we believe that the motive for that murder was drug related. From our investigation there were 3 persons together, but only one of them was armed with a firearm. Nonetheless if our investigation or our evidence points us to all 3 persons based on the doctrine of joint enterprise - we believe that we will be able to charge all 3 with his murder."

Today, we tried to probe ACP Chester Williams on that drug connection, but he was very careful in the details he would reveal at this time.

Daniel Ortiz
"Was this an ongoing drug deal that went bad or a previous incident that ended with the murder this Saturday?"

ACP Chester Williams - Commander, Eastern Division South
"Well, we believe that he was indebted to someone for some drugs and that person was the one who put the hit on him. So that's what the investigation is revealing at this time."

Our check says that Banner has a history of conflict with the police. In one instance, Chester Williams himself had to investigate him and his associate, the deceased notorious figure, Russell Hyde, for a kidnapping charge with a gun connection.

Today, when we asked, Williams was not willing to discuss those past cases.

ACP Chester Williams - Commander, Eastern Division South
"I will not share much information as it relates to the deceased. I think that the least we owe the deceased is his dignity at death."

So, back to that drug connection. It's not the first time we've heard him being connected to underworld activities.

3 years ago, Roger Banner ended up in our newscast, once again, after the GSU raided the Belmopan home of the deceased Russell Hyde. The cops said that they found a large quantity of cocaine on the premises. Banner and Hyde claimed that the police planted the drugs on them. Here how he explained then what appeared to multiple stash spots for the cocaine.

FILE: April 30, 2012
Roger Banner - Charge by GSU

"We already did the search together with them to witness that nothing was in the place. We search the entire store room and nothing was in there, it was clean. They told me that the store room was clean, that they didn't find anything. I ask them to secure back the store room, so they took me back inside. I cannot see what they are doing outside. When they brought him and start the search again then they ended up finding those pieces of things - the crack cocaine and stuff."

Jules Vasquez
"Might it be that when you were there they didn't search thoroughly enough? Because they say that they found all the drugs in pipes; PVC pipe and some in a lamp."

Roger Banner, Charge by GSU
"The PVC pipe that they were talking about was right there; they searched the PVC pipe in front of me thoroughly and nothing was in the pipe."

Banner is from the Cayo District with ties to Teakettle Village and Blackman Eddy.

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