7 News Belize

Cayo Killers Were Especially Cold Blooded
posted (February 21, 2018)
And, coming up shortly we'll show you the nomination events in Orange Walk and Corozal, plus, we'll have Cayo and Belmopan after that.

But, first to crime news.

24 year old Gian Espat was buried last night after 10:00. He is the caretaker who was found dead yesterday morning at the Capital Heights Farm in the Trapeche area of Santa Elena. Espat was chopped to the back of his head but the brutal killers didn't stop there. Today Courtney Weatherburne and Codie Noralez found out more about this disturbing murder.

Courtney Weatherburne reporting
Gian Espat had been living at this breezy riverside cabin on the Capital Heights Farm in Santa Elena for 3 months.

He was the care taker. He would cut the yard and make sure the place was spotless. But today the house was in a mess,

With his blood splattered on the bedroom tiles. His killers chopped him to the back of the head and then tucked his body in his bed.

Voice of: Samuel Perez, Friend
"A young boy call me and he say boy Mex, I come back here to catch butterfly and I find Gian dead."

"He say when he went there he was hollering his name and he didn't answer and when he went inside he saw him on the bed and he say when he went into the bedroom he saw him with his eyes open he was still and he hollered for him Gian and he notice he didn't answer so he ran out."

Courtney Weatherburne, reporter
"He saw the blood, he saw the blood there was a bucket of blood as well?"

Voice of: Samuel Perez, Friend
"Yes, bucket of blood, it look like when they killed him, they drained his blood in the bucket."

It is a chilling murder tale - one of an execution seemingly fueled by extreme rage but Espat's friend says he has no idea who would want him dead.

Samuel Perez, Friend
"I don't know him as a person who give trouble, I don't...he didn't tell me he has any problem out there, I still don't know why they killed him."

That's just one of the many questions left unanswered at this time. But Perez says he can at least put together when Espat was murdered - he says it had to have been late Sunday evening.

Samuel Perez, Friend
"The last time I saw him was on Sunday morning when I went back there for a rake and thing, he was sitting on the step and he just hail me, about 9:30, yeah."

Courtney Weatherburne
"He didn't call you or have any phone conversation after that Sunday?"

Samuel Perez, Friend
"No, I text him and he didn't answer his phone, I call him and he didn't answer."

"I call him the Sunday, I text him the Sunday, I call him the Monday , I text him he no answer , I am telling my girlfriend, Gian so lazy he doesn't even want to come for his money, for his pay right because he usually get paid Sunday, He didn't come for his pay, he didn't come to eat. I told her that is not Gian."

Courtney Weatherburne
"So maybe they killed him by then noh?"

Samuel Perez, Friend
"Yeah, I think they killed him like Sunday night, night because when I reach back there it was already stinky not decomposed but stink you know."

Espat's family declined comment. They say they he moved out about 9 years ago and he hadn't been in touch. But Perez says he was like family to Espat even though he only knew him for about 5 months.

Samuel Perez, Friend
"I don't class him as my worker, I class him as my son because he had nowhere to stay, he told me Mex I don't have anywhere to stay and I just took him in."

"To me he was cool lee young boy, he was helpful anytime my lady wants to get something done she cook food, she make tamales and thing and she would say Gian cut some leaf for me and he come and help my lady make tamales and everything."

Perez says nothing was stolen from the home. We will keep following this story.

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