Elmer Nah’s Reaction in Court as Sentence Is Read Out
More than three years after the New Year’s Eve 2022 massacre in Belmopan, convicted murderer and former police corporal Elmer Nah has been sentenced to three concurrent life sentences for the murders of Jon, David, and Vivian Ramnarace. Justice Nigel Pilgrim ruled that Nah must serve at least 50 years before becoming eligible for parole, meaning he will be 89 years old at his first possible review.
The sentencing came Friday after the case was adjourned the day before, closing one of Belize’s most closely watched trials. Prosecutors pressed for the maximum penalty, citing several aggravating factors, including that three victims were killed inside their home, in front of a child, and evidence that the attack was planned. In contrast, the mitigating factors were limited to Nah’s years of service as a police officer, his previously clean criminal record, and the defence’s argument that he had some potential for rehabilitation. Justice Pilgrim said those few mitigating points were far outweighed by the aggravating circumstances.
In an unexpected move, Nah raised his hand during the hearing and asked to speak, despite his opportunity having passed during mitigation the day before. Justice Pilgrim allowed him to make a statement. Nah expressed condolences to the family and was expressive when he insisted that as a police officer he was trained “to protect and serve, not to destroy lives”. He then claimed he had identified another individual as the “real killer”, naming a police officer previously arrested in Belmopan on drug charges. The court did not accept this assertion.
Nah’s decision to speak during sentencing was unprecedented, as convicts rarely address the court at that stage. News 5’s reporter was inside the courtroom and described that throughout the trial, Nah remained mostly stone‑faced, showing little emotion except when his name was mentioned in connection with the crime. In those moments, he would shake his head in denial, a gesture he repeated consistently as he rejected the accusations against him.
The family’s victim impact statements carried significant weight in the overall case. Vivian’s daughter Kate, who witnessed the murders of her parents, was not present in court, but her trauma was described in detail. Sister Vashti Belisle recounted how Vivian’s last words to her daughter were “I love you” just before she died from complications of her injuries. Justice Pilgrim factored in that Kate will have to live the rest of her life without her mother and without her father.
When Nah was escorted out of the courtroom by police officers, he turned to the cameras and quoted the Bible verse Proverbs 19:21: “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” Asked by News 5 what he thought of his attorney, Nah replied bluntly: “Bogus, he sabotaged my case.”