One Suspect Detained for Latest Belize City Murder 

Police are investigating the murder of 36-year-old Byron James, who was shot dead outside his family’s home on Castle Street late Friday night in the Old Capital. 

Assistant Superintendent of Police Stacy Smith said officers arrived at the apartment compound around 9:55 p.m. and found James lying motionless.

According to police investigation, two masked men entered the yard and opened fire before fleeing the scene. A family member told police she heard about five gunshots.

Two nine-millimetre pistols were retrieved and labelled as seized property. “These firearms will be submitted to the National Forensic and Science Services laboratory for ballistic testing to determine whether or not they were in fact used in this incident,” ASP Smith said.

Police have not yet determined a motive. There’s one person in police custody.

James had recently been released from the Belize Central Prison after filing an appeal linked to his murder conviction.

He was convicted in 2017 for the 2012 murder of Frank Vasquez. He also assaulted a court reporter during that trial. He was never sentenced because the case exceeded the reasonable time frame for trial and appeal. A retrial was ordered but never held. The court later ruled a stay, which stopped further action.

James was released from prison in December 2022 and had been out on bail at the time of his death. A post-mortem examination is pending.