A heartbreaking discovery was made in San Pablo Village, Corozal, on Friday, where the search for forty-nine-year-old James Mendez ended in tragedy. Mendez, a local mechanic, had been missing since May twenty-first. After days of desperate searching, police found his body at the bottom of a well on his farm. The grim find confirmed what his family had feared. Mendez’s body showed multiple stab wounds to the chest and neck and was already in an advanced state of decomposition. Assistant Superintendent of Police Stacy Smith shared details of the case in an official report.
Stacy Smith
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer
“On Friday, May twenty-third at eleven a.m., acting upon information. Police visited a farm in the Orange Walk District where they discovered the motionless body of forty-nine-year-old James Mendez, a Belizean mechanic of San Pablo Village Orange Walk. The scene was processed by scenes of crime personal and the body of Mendez was transported to the Northern Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Mendez was reported missing on Wednesday twenty-first, May, 2025 by a relative, who stated that the last time he was seen was on twentieth May when he would’ve departed his residence for a job.”
Reporter
“Is it classified a homicide or investigation?”
ASP Stacy Smith,
“It’s classified as a homicide.”
Reporter
“Do you have any idea why somebody might want to hurt him?”
ASP Stacy Smith,
“We have no information in relation to that. The investigation is still ongoing.”
Reporter
“Cause of death?”
ASP Stacy Smith
“The cause of death has not been ascertained. However, an injury was observed to his chest area. The body now awaits a post-mortem.”
The highly anticipated voir dire in the Elmer Nah triple murder trial has been postponed to June 9, 2025. The delay came after Nah’s defense attorney requested more time to review new evidence disclosed just hours before the hearing. Justice Nigel Pilgrim granted the adjournment, citing fairness to the accused. Before the adjournment, the court addressed several procedural matters. Thirteen witness statements were agreed upon by both sides, and 15 live witnesses are expected to testify during the voir dire. Tensions briefly flared when Nah, despite having legal representation, interrupted proceedings to request enhanced video footage of the shooting. Justice Pilgrim reminded him to communicate through his attorney and warned against further outbursts. The court also discussed plans for the retired lead investigator to testify via video link from abroad. Justice Pilgrim confirmed that rulings made during the voir dire will carry over into the main trial. Notably, no relatives of the victims were present in court. Despite a request for a closed hearing, the proceedings remain open to the public. Security was visibly heightened, with GI3 officers stationed around the courthouse.
An internal investigation is ongoing into the death of Selvin Sealy, a San Pedro resident who died while being taken into police custody on May twelfth. A post-mortem revealed that Sealy died from restraint asphyxia, he suffocated while being restrained. Police say Sealy was subdued after resisting arrest for trespassing, but his death has since been ruled a homicide. The officers involved have been suspended, and the Director of Public Prosecutions has called for a deeper review of the case. Assistant Superintendent of Police Stacy Smith provided an update on the investigation.
Stacy Smith
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer
“As it relates to the Sealy investigation, the department is still awaiting a statement from the examiner as to the nature of the injuries and that will direct what charges will be levied and against who.”
Reporter
“Didn’t the post-mortem reveal that it was homicide and that he died by asphyxia by restraint?”
ASP Stacy Smith
“Yes, the post-mortem did review that. However, the DPP office has directed a more detailed report from the pathologist.”
Reporter
“And those officers remain on suspension?”
ASP Stacy Smith
“Yes, they remain on suspension. And the parallel internal investigation continues. It is anticipated that as the directives are given, they will be placed on interdiction, if so warranted and subsequent actions will be taken.” 2:34
As the police undergo the investigation, the family of Sealy continues to call for due justice to be delivered for his death.”
Tonight, the Briceño administration is taking bold steps to tackle the growing threat of gun violence and gang activity in Belize. Prime Minister John Briceño has introduced a series of constitutional amendments aimed at strengthening the country’s legal tools to fight crime. One of the key drivers behind these changes? Conflicting High Court rulings on a 2020 state of emergency that have left the legal landscape uncertain. The Prime Minister explained that while his government plans to challenge the decision, the case won’t be heard until March 2026, when the Court of Appeal is next in session. In the meantime, these proposed amendments are setting the stage for what could be a major shift in how Belize handles national security and public safety.
Prime Minister John Briceño
Prime Minister John Briceño
“Crime evokes strong emotions from the citizen of a country. Families and friends of murder victims, victims of rape and robbery, all citizens who cannot live in peace because of the lawlessness among them. They all deserve strong and decisive action from their government. A judge in a recent case before the high court, pointed out that people should not and I quote, fail to be sensitive to the fact that human life is valuable and the state is responsible for creating an enrollment in which people can live in safety in circumstance where law and order prevails. To do otherwise is to surrender to laws of the jungle. I have publicly stated the government well appeal the recent decision handed down by Justice Nabie. Such an appeal could not come from hearing for at least nine months, in the March 2026 Court of Appeal Session. The state of uncertainty cannot persist for such a long period. So, this is why I am here introducing this, Belize Constitution the thirteen amendment bill 2025 because legislative intervention is necessary. It is no secret that successive government has used the emergency powers provided to the state by the constitution of Belize in the interest of public safety or order or for preventing detecting or controlling crime in the country. There has been proclamation declaring a state of emergency in the southside in 2018 to 2020 and in 2021, 2022, 2023. There were additionally two proclamations in 2024 and one in May of this year. The data shows when an SOE is declared crime goes down dramatically, especially murder. Two recent high court ruling has created an uncertainty about the use by the state of this measure as of the public emergency powers to deceive, prevent and control crime.”
The search for a missing Corozal man ended in tragedy after police discovered the body of 49-year-old James Mendez at the bottom of a well on his farm in San Pablo Village, Orange Walk.
Mendez, a mechanic and car dealer, was reported missing on May 21st after he left home around 6:00 a.m. for what was believed to be a work-related trip. According to police, his son reported that an unknown man had picked him up for a mechanic job but he never returned.
Authorities say Mendez’s body was found around 11:00 a.m. on Friday, submerged in a well. Police observed multiple stab wounds to his chest and neck. The body was in an advanced state of decomposition. His death is being investigated as a homicide.
The high-profile case against Elmer Nah is moving forward, but not without tension inside the courtroom. At today’s continuation of the case management conference, Nah’s sole defense attorney, Doctor Lynden Jones, requested that the court be closed during the upcoming voir dire hearings, citing safety concerns—including death threats he says he received during earlier proceedings. But Justice Nigel Pilgrim denied the request, stating that the court has adequate security measures in place and emphasized the importance of open court proceedings, especially in a case of this magnitude. The trial is set to begin Monday, May twenty-sixth, starting with a voir dire into the statement of Vivian Ramnarace, followed by another on the video evidence of the shooting. Doctor Jones also raised concerns about late disclosures from the prosecution, including access to video metadata that the defense had requested for over two years. Despite his objections, the judge ruled against delaying the process. Both the prosecutor and Elmer Nah appeared virtually today, while Doctor Jones was present in court. Nah is expected to appear in person for Monday’s proceedings. We’ll continue to follow this developing story as the trial gets underway.
Tonight, a murder case from 2024 continues to unfold in the courts. David Friesen, a Mennonite man accused of murder, has been further remanded to the Belize Central Prison as he awaits his next court date on June sixth, 2025, for a case management conference. Friesen, who turns thirty on May twenty-sixth, is charged with the murder of Alexander Villamil, which took place on February seventeenth, 2024, in Corozalito Village. He has pleaded not guilty. His attorney, Lynden Jones, told the court he plans to request a voir dire—a special hearing to challenge the admissibility of a statement Friesen gave to police. Jones argues that the statement was coerced and possibly tampered with. We’ll continue to follow this case and bring you updates as it develops.
A powerful court ruling is sending shockwaves through the justice system and reigniting debate over the use of emergency powers in Belize. Sixteen men detained during the 2020 Southside state of emergency have been awarded compensation after the High Court ruled their detention was unlawful and unconstitutional. But the story doesn’t end there. Some of those same men are now back behind bars under a new state of emergency—raising serious questions about rights, policing, and accountability. Tonight, we hear from one of the men at the center of it all, and from the attorney demanding justice be served.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Sixteen men who were locked up during the 2020 Southside state of emergency are now set to receive tens of thousands of dollars in compensation. That’s the ruling from High Court Justice Nadine Nabie, who found their detention was unlawful. Well-known defense attorney Richard ‘Dickie’ Bradley is weighing in, and he’s not mincing words. He says the government needs to move quickly to pay up. According to Bradley, this isn’t just about money, it’s about justice and making things right after these men were wrongfully imprisoned.
Richard “Dickie” Bradley
Richard “Dickie” Bradley, Attorney-at-Law
“Even though in some quarters a few of you have conducted yourself badly, you still have rights, prisoners have rights, a horse who have been chopped have rights, animal have rights.”
Tonight, that debate takes a personal turn. One man, often at the center of police investigations for alleged gang ties, is speaking out. Hubert Baptist says that despite the accusations, his rights to liberty and legal protection matter just as much as anyone else’s. For him, being suspected of gang involvement should not mean being stripped of his basic human rights.
Voice of: Hubert Baptist
Voice of: Hubert Baptist, Lake Independence Resident
“So basically your door get broke down for nothing, your whole neighborhood get sabotaged for nothing. They put everybody in one bunch, when certain people the do certain things. They cant come grab people for couple people’s doing. If the police was investigating correct, who involved in things, do the correct vetting, pick up the correct people that is involved in the crime, that is justifiable. But don’t lock up any and everybody in the neighborhood. That is not correct.”
While the men were given official detention orders and told why they were being held, they say the reasons didn’t hold up. According to their testimony, police never provided solid evidence linking them to any gang activity. Instead, the men believe they were targeted simply because of where they live. The ruling is now fueling a broader conversation about justice, policing, and the protection of constitutional rights, especially for those living in high-crime areas.
Paul Lopez
“What are you thinking when an SOE is called?”
Voice of: Hubert Baptist
“Bway I gwen dah jail nothing else. I gwen dah jail and there is nothing I can do about it. Nuh care if you get a lawyer, three four lawyer, they sing to you that your rights get taken away from you, because it is not right. If you do something for your rights to get taken away then it makes sense, but if you don’t nothing and they take away your rights, that is violation. They take away your liberty.”
Paul Lopez
“You or anybody ever get an opportunity to argue your case, maybe a judicial body?”
Voice of: Hubert Baptist
“Never yet, you just get grab. They take you in a basic interview, sometimes to. Dah just the other day they take us in interviews. Before in 2020 you just go to piss house, they bring a paper to you, they say you are going up under state. They never had no interviews.”
Under Section 19(1) of Belize’s Constitution, anyone detained during a state of emergency has the right to have their case reviewed by an independent and impartial tribunal. But according to Justice Nadine Nabie’s recent ruling, that never happened for the sixteen men detained in 2020. The court found that no such tribunal was ever set up—meaning the men’s constitutional rights were violated. It’s a serious breach that adds weight to the court’s decision declaring their detention unlawful.
Paul Lopez
“Do you think that people in the street understand their rights, rights to protection of law, rights to liberty, rights to judicial review.”
Voice of: Hubert Baptist
“I don’t think so, but I think people the learn. Knowledge is key so when they get knowledge and know that bway this nuh correct, it will be a problem for whole of society, because everybody is in this.”
Richard “Dickie” Bradley
“What is unlawful is unlawful and what is a violation of people’s rights, we must all speak up for that. This is how a society increasingly loses their rights. The biggest reason for losing their rights is that they don’t even know what is their rights.”
In a striking development, most of those same men have reportedly been detained again, this time under the current state of emergency. It’s a detail that’s raising fresh concerns about how these emergency powers are being used. Among the claimants is Earl Baptist, who was awarded fifteen thousand dollars in compensation under the court’s judgment. But there’s a complication, he’s currently serving a prison sentence for murder. His uncle, Hubert Baptist, has been vocal about the case, and tonight, the spotlight is once again on the balance between public safety and constitutional rights.
Voice of: Hubert Baptist
“That dah nuh wah victory for we, it is a victim for everybody. It is time for them to open up their eyes and start to understand that. The system have to do their job the right way. This will straighten them up to let them understand you cant just grab deh bally and send them up, you have to put them before a tribunal to know that they are involved.”
As this story continues to unfold, it’s clear the conversation around justice, detention, and due process is far from over. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.
Twenty-five-year-old Dray Mossiah, a painter from Cleghorn Street, is now facing two criminal charges after a late-night police search turned up suspected cocaine and drug paraphernalia in his home. Police say they executed a search warrant at Mossiah’s residence around eleven p.m. on Monday. Inside, they reportedly found a small bag of white powder, along with straws believed to have cocaine residue. But things took a turn when Mossiah allegedly tried to bribe one of the officers with a hundred and forty dollars in cash, asking to be let go without charges. That move landed him a second charge, attempting to corrupt a police officer. Mossiah appeared in court this morning without a lawyer and initially pleaded guilty. But after hearing the details, he seemed unsure and told the magistrate, quote, no drugs were found in the straw, end quote. The court entered a not guilty plea on his behalf and advised him to seek legal counsel. The magistrate noted that as a first-time offender for these particular charges, Mossiah could face fines between a hundred and two hundred dollars per count. However, it turns out he still owes over nine thousand, five hundred dollars from a 2021 drug conviction. Before he could post bail today, he was ordered to pay five hundred dollars toward that outstanding fine. Mossiah managed to make the payment just before four p.m. and was granted bail. He’s due back in court on July fifteenth and must make another payment toward his old fine by June.
Police are still trying to piece together what happened in the moments leading up to the death of thirty-year-old Selvin Sealy, a San Pedro resident who died shortly after being taken into custody. According to early reports, Sealy was arrested for allegedly trespassing and was restrained by officers due to what they described as aggressive behavior. But not long after his arrest, he was dead. A post-mortem has since ruled his death a homicide, confirming that he died from restraint asphyxia—a condition that occurs when someone is held in a way that prevents them from breathing properly. The news has left Sealy’s family devastated and searching for answers. His father, Selvin Sealy Senior, says his son had recently been released from prison and was dealing with mental health challenges, but insists he wasn’t violent and didn’t deserve the level of force used against him.
Selvin Sealy Sr.
Selvin Sealy Sr., Father of Deceased
“It’s the violence. I think he never had been charged with violent, just behavior. But never like violent. His history is not I probably the record I would have to go back, but not in terms of beating people up or, violent, beating somebody up or something like that. So I would try to recall, but I don’t recall anything that, so I think the force was a little bit excessive. Because if you have a bunch of police that hold you and arrest you, they have you in handcuff. There’s no reason for you. There’s some different thing that I heard. I want to get the videos that some other thing transpire in that process that the police had him. But I just want justice. I’m not pointing fingers, but my son died.”
Now, the family is calling for justice, as the investigation continues and the public demands accountability.
