7 News Belize

Danny Committed to Stand Trial
posted (February 21, 2017)
11 days ago, we told you how the police withdrew charges against Melissa Ferguson, wife of accused murderer William Danny Mason. The cops didn't have enough evidence to prove that she was involved in the kidnapping of Pastor Llewelyn Lucas, which led to his murder. Well, there won't be any such easy acquittal for Mason and his 4 fellow accused, Ashton Vanegas, Keron Fernandez, Terrence Fernandez, and Ernest Castillo. They will all have to stand trial in the Supreme Court.

That's decision that the Chief Magistrate, Ann Marie Smith, made this morning during the preliminary inquiry. Now, the preliminary inquiry is done by the Magistrate's Court to test whether the police have gathered enough evidence to try a case in the Supreme Court.

And so, the Police made sure to convince the Chief Magistrate that they do have enough evidence against the men when Assistant Police Commissioner Chester Williams handed over the entire investigation file to her. It includes over a hundred pieces of evidence, witness statements from over 20 prosecution witnesses, video surveillance which reportedly shows the kidnapping of Pastor Lucas and David Dodd, and a caution statement from one of the accused men. Police are waiting for results from forensic testing for exhibits which they sent to Miami. These include the burnt remains of a human body, believed to be Pastor Lucas found on Mason's ranch near mile 31 on the Western Highway. The intention, as we understand it, is to confirm if it matches the DNA of Pastor Lucas's head, which was allegedly found in Mason's pickup truck.

Those results haven't come back yet, but today, after ACP Williams cataloged all the exhibits in the case file, the Chief Magistrate committed the case to the July session of the Supreme Court.

After the hearing, Williams, who has been acting as prosecutor, discussed a few details about the contents of the investigation file:

ACP Chester Williams, Esq. - Police Prosecutor
"The PI was not one which has contested by the defence and so what we did was paper committer."

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"How many witnesses are you able to say will testify in this case or have given statements to the police?"

ACP Chester Williams, Esq. - Police Prosecutor
"We have over 20 witnesses who the prosecution will rely on at the day of trial to be able to prove the case against William Mason."

Reporter
"Sir in the case of those that was sent abroad, and the ballistic test, will they be available in time, in terms of the trial?"

ACP Chester Williams, Esq. - Police Prosecutor
"We are hoping that they will be, we have sent them and by all indications we believe that it'll be in the country by then. The case have been committed to the June session of the Supreme Court. So I believe we have sufficient time to be able to get evidence back in the country for them."

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"Let us say for example the prosecution isn't able to get those. Worst case scenario, will you all still be able to prove this case against those gentlemen?"

ACP Chester Williams, Esq. - Police Prosecutor
"Like I said in the exception of the case that the case or the prosecution is a very good circumstantial case and even in the absence of the testing that we have sent abroad I still do believe that we have a very good case but it will be best to have them."

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"I noticed that the chief magistrate plays stress on the video evidence that you all provided. Were you able to confirm that, that is indeed part of the evidence and it is something that will be relied on?"

ACP Chester Williams, Esq. - Police Prosecutor
"Of course, yes, we have a video surveillance tape that the prosecution will be relying on at the trial in respect to this matter."

Reporter
"Heavily upon one of the key exhibits."

ACP Chester Williams, Esq. - Police Prosecutor
"I'm not going to say heavily, but we will be relying on it."

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"I had noticed that you exhibited something, which I heard you say, they are cautions statement, if I'm not mistaken or 2 from the accused persons. Are you able to confirm?"

ACP Chester Williams, Esq. - Police Prosecutor
"Yes, one of the accused persons did give a caution statement to the police."

Reporter
"There were some documents, I am not sure if I'm correct but banking information from Canada to here or...?"

ACP Chester Williams, Esq. - Police Prosecutor
"Those are things that the police did to have been able to establish the true identity of Mason. Those documents will be relied on as well to show who William Mason truly is."

Reporter
"Can you say who he truly is at this point?"

ACP Chester Williams, Esq. - Police Prosecutor
"It has been said in court, the documents are there."

Reporter
"There were some in relation to companies that they established here in Belize?"

ACP Chester Williams, Esq. - Police Prosecutor
"Yes, the company established by Mr. Mason and again the documents pertaining to those company. The article of incorporation and so forth will be relied upon to show the company and who the directors of those companies are."

All 5 men have already been given their full disclosure, and they have been remanded to the Belize Central Prison, where they will wait for their day in the Supreme Court.

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