7 News Belize

Mervin Humphreys: Sudden Death Or Foul Play?
posted (June 12, 2017)
And in Belmopan, another family is grieving the loss of their relative. They believe it was murder but police say otherwise. 35 year old Mervin Humphreys was found lying in the yard of the Poultry Association building on Haulover Creek Street in Belmopan last week Thursday around midday. Now police had ruled it as a sudden death but the family says that based on the post mortem examination, they believe their loved one was killed. Here is what the police had to say today in a press conference.

OC Howell Gillett, Belmopan
"Our officers we got the call sometime around 11:30am on Thursday last. Officers were immediately dispatch to the area. I believe it was Haulover Creek Street here in Belmopan, where we discovered Mr. Humphreys. He was in a laying position face up and 2 beers to his side. There were marks in the areas that were not clothed that appears to us as being sunburn marks. An autopsy was done and it revealed that he died from multiple organ failure due to the superficial first degree burns that he had."

"Having that knowledge of the autopsy we went and got additional information. As a matter of fact we have video footage of the store that he went to to purchase alcoholic beverages and at the time, sometime around 10:30 this is one hour before our discovery he appeared to be without any marks. So between 10:30 and 11:30 - and then we also have statements from those who saw him when he went into the store saying that there weren't any marks when he visited the store and we also have statements that show there was no contact with anybody on the street between the store and when he collapse in that yard on Haulover Creek Street. So we at the Belmopan Police are very comfortable in saying that his death was not as a result of being harmed by anyone else."

But the family doesn't buy the 'sun burnt' story one bit. Humphreys' mother told us that there had to be foul play. Here is what she had to say about the day her son was found and about the post mortem results.

Mother of: Mervin Humphreys
"I saw him last week Thursday about 7:15am. My 2 daughters were going to work and so he got a ride with them in a taxi. He said he wanted to go to the Belize Bank and that was the last time I saw my son, until I got a report. One of my cousin came and say he passed by Haulover Creek Street and he saw him lying in a yard."

Courtney Weatherburne
"So you guys went through with the postmortem examination. What are the results?"

Mother of: Mervin Humphreys
"They did the post mortem the next day we went to Belize City. We were there the whole day and this is the result of what it says: it says "multiple organ failure, acute brain and pulmonary edema, superficial first degree burn and this case should be under investigation." This is what this says, but then the night before, the same night my son died, the OC up here went on Facebook, went on the TV and he said that they found a body in a certain area and no foul is suspected. But then how can no foul play? My son has marks on him."

"I want to appeal to them to find who killed, who murdered my son. Because I personally am doing my own investigation."

OC Howell Gillett, Belmopan
"What we will do, because we have to be cognizant of the fact that family are believing otherwise, we'll have a separate entity that will decide to see if it's the same way we are thinking based on the evidence we have. So what we will do, we will put the file together and then we will dispatch it for legal opinion and then maybe if so decide by the DPP's office, then there could be a coroner's inquest, whichever the office so decides. That is to bring complete closure for the family. Because we have a duty of care to the public and we want them to be satisfied with the performance of the police especially in times of the loss of a family member."

As you heard police will look deeper into the case and the file will be sent to DPP. The police plans to meet with the family as well to address their questions and concerns.

Home | Archives | Downloads/Podcasts | Advertise | Contact Us

7 News Belize