7 News Belize

Market Murder In City
posted (August 8, 2016)
And while Belmopan Police were questioning Melissa Ferguson to determine if she was in any way involved in the murder of Pastor Llewelyn Lucas, cops from Belize City's Eastern Division South were continuing their investigation into a weekend murder. The victim is 51 year-old Carl Trapp. He was stabbed to death near the Michael Finnegan Market, right inside the compound of Hyde's Supermarket. That business is owned by his cousin, Alvin Hyde Jr., who he lived with.

Today, we went looking for answers in Trapp's very strange and violent killing. Daniel Ortiz has that story:

Daniel Ortiz reporting
The body of 51 year-old Carl Trap, originally from Camalote Village, was found here inside Hyde's Supermarket, the building owned by his cousin, Alvin Hyde Jr. Someone attacked him, stabbed him several times to the face, and left him on the ground to die. It was not until some hours later that he was discovered, and be then, he was dead.

ACP Chester Williams - OC, Eastern Division South
"Sometime after 6am, police were called to Hyde's Supermarket that is within the Finnegan Market Area, where upon arrival the lifeless body of Carl Trap was seen with what appeared to be multiple stab wounds to the face and back."

Alvin Hyde Jr. - Cousin of the Deceased
"The police came, asked me if I identified the man, I told them 'yes I do', after that they picked up the body and took him."

His cousin said that like everyone else affected by Hurricane Earl, he was excited when the power finally came back on.

Alvin Hyde Jr. - Cousin of the Deceased
"After the hurricane we didn't sleep that night because he stayed here with me. The following night was another black out. Until the following night about 8:15, we got our electricity back. He came out and said 'yay we got electricity'."

So, that led up to Friday night, the last time he was seen alive. Trapp spoke to some persons who came to visit him that night. He left with them, and while returning, the killer attacked him just as he opened the gate to get back inside the Hyde Supermarket building.

ACP Chester Williams - OC, Eastern Division South
"What we have learnt is that the night of Friday, April 5th, he was visited by 2 persons in an SUV. Those persons, we have gathered, are his family members who came down from Camalote to visit him to see how he was after the storm."

Alvin Hyde Jr. - Cousin of the Deceased
"I heard that someone was shouting for Carl, I had to sleep here in this side due to the water on the counter of the business we closed down. They asked for Carl so I came out and he said 'who is that? I'm sleeping'. After I talked to them, they drove off. He came and told me he was going, and I said 'well okay Carl, are you going out? I was already going to sleep when I told you about the people so I'm going back to lay down'. I was tired for the few nights where I didn't get any rest so I went to lay down and sleep, I said 'when you come in, you have your keys for the room and you have your keys for the gate."

ACP Chester Williams - OC, Eastern Division South
"After those persons left his home, we learnt that he took off on a bicycle, went somewhere, returned shortly thereafter and that was the last time he was seen alive"

Daniel Ortiz
"Do you think maybe he opened the gate and someone attacked him?"

Alvin Hyde Jr. - Cousin of the Deceased
"Well this is what I figured."

Both police and Hyde are have no explanation for his very violent death:

Daniel Ortiz
"Who would want to hurt him like that?"

Alvin Hyde Jr. - Cousin of the Deceased
"The way how things are running right now, you don't have to do anything bad for anybody to hurt you. Sometimes you're at the wrong place and the wrong time and when you look you get hurt because other people are getting hurt innocently these days."

ACP Chester Williams - OC, Eastern Division South
"It would appear to be an angry person, someone who obviously was angry with him. It can be seen as a crime of passion, and it can also be seen as a crime of hate."

Reporter
"Sir is it believed that it is someone that he knew that did this?"

ACP Chester Williams - OC, Eastern Division South
"I would want to think so yes, that it is someone that he knew who may have committed this crime against him, but like I said, we are still investigating. Investigation is still in its infantry stage, we are asking anyone who may have any useful information where this investigation is concerned, to please feel free to contact us or to call the 0-800-922TIP number and leave the information there so we can move forward."

Reports are that Carl Trapp had been out on parole for the last 5 months. This is the second early morning death coming out of the Michael Finnegan Market in one week. Emily Guy died as a result of a drunk driving traffic accident last week.

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