Ellis Meighan to Stand Trial for Murder, Attempted Murder

Thirty-four-year-old Ellis “Juice” Meighan will stand trial in the High Court for the murder of Roy Lee Burgess and the attempted murder of American national Maia James. The Chief Magistrate committed Meighan to stand trial after a preliminary inquiry in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court. Prosecutors submitted more than thirty-five witness statements and several documentary exhibits, including medical and forensic reports, crime-scene photographs, ballistic evidence and three recorded statements from James. The charges stem from an April 2024 shooting in Placencia that killed Burgess and left James with a gunshot wound to the head. She survived after receiving medical treatment outside Belize. Meighan told the court that he intends to call alibi witnesses but could not immediately provide their names. The Chief Magistrate gave him seven days to submit them in writing. His trial is expected to begin during the High Court session scheduled for October 7, 2026. Meighan was charged in September 2025 after authorities deported him from the United States and handed him over to Belizean police.

 

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