Sentencing Day for Elmer Nah

More than three years after a brutal New Year’s Eve massacre shattered a Belmopan family, the former police officer convicted of carrying out the killings is expected to learn his fate today.

Elmer Nah, a former police corporal, returns to the High Court this afternoon for sentencing after being found guilty of murdering brothers Jon and David Ramnarace and Jon’s wife, Vivian Belisle Ramnarace. Justice Nigel Pilgrim is expected to hand down the sentence at 1:00 p.m., bringing one of Belize’s most closely watched murder cases to its final chapter.

Nah was convicted on May 29 of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder for the deadly attack that unfolded at the Ramnarace family’s home in Belmopan on December 31, 2022.

The shooting claimed the lives of David and Jon Ramnarace at the scene. Vivian Belisle Ramnarace survived the initial attack but succumbed to her injuries just over two weeks later. A fourth victim, Yemi Alberto, survived the gunfire.

A crucial piece of evidence in the trial was the testimony Vivian provided before her death. In delivering his guilty verdict, Justice Pilgrim described her account as credible and reliable, noting that video evidence remarkably matched her version of events.

The court also dismissed Nah’s explanation of his whereabouts during the attack. Justice Pilgrim concluded that the former officer had deliberately lied to investigators and the court, a finding that played a significant role in securing the convictions.