Man Reported Missing Found Dead; Family Says They Can’t Claim Body

Jericho Humes disappeared under suspicious circumstances from his home in Dangriga Town on April 1st.

On Thursday, Arseneia Humes, his sister, told News Five that her brother is dead.

According to Arsenia, police called in the family to identify a body found in an advanced state of decomposition.

“As a sister, I identified him by the tattoos,” Arsenia said, describing the painful process of confirming what the family had feared. She told News Five that police share no information with the family. They don’t know where the body was found. They don’t know when it was found. They don’t know under which circumstances the body was found.

Arsenia, however, said that all the family knows is that they can’t claim the body without a photo that matches the face to the markings on the body. They need this picture because, without this photo, according to Arsenia, authorities will not release the body.

Humes, a father of three, was last seen when he was dropped off at work. Days later, relatives found his home ransacked with broken windows, a forced door, scattered clothes, and a pot of rice left untouched until it spoiled. One of his caps was also discovered partially burnt.

Almost a week after his disappearance, his niece spoke to News Five, breaking down repeatedly during the interview. While speaking, she received multiple calls from a Mexican number claiming to have Humes and demanding $10,000 for his release. She also received a photo showing a knife pressed to his neck and audio recordings, which she handed over to police.

At the time, Assistant Superintendent of Police Stacy Smith told reporters that officers had spoken with Humes’ brother, who insisted the person in the video was not Jericho. “It is a matter that is still a missing persons case and is being investigated from that perspective,” Smith had said.

A DNA saliva test has been proposed as a path to formal identification, but the family says they were told results could take up to four months.

His brother, Jose Francisco Humes, told News Five they questioned whether he suffered gunshot or stab wounds, but police have not confirmed a cause of death.

“The only thing that I’m asking is justice for my little brother, because he didn’t use to mess with anybody,” his sister said.