LORDS BANK, Ladyville, Belize District, Mar. 31, 2016–There was much uncertainty surrounding the death of Oscar Ulysis Castillo Gomez, 41, a construction worker of Lords Bank and a father of four children, who some believed died as a result of cutting his own throat, while others suspected he was murdered. Police, however, believed it was murder and were awaiting the results of a post-mortem examination of Gomez’ body to certify the cause of his death.
Alex Williams, at whose home the incident which resulted in Gomez’s death took place, and who was an “eyewitness” to the incident, told Amandala that Gomez was acting strangely, and took a knife and stabbed his own throat.
The incident occurred at about 6:30 Friday evening, March 18, on Cahal Pech Street in Lords Bank.
A post-mortem exam conducted by Dr. Mario Estradabran on Gomez’s body at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital on Thursday certified the cause of Gomez’s death to be “exsanguinations due to external bleeding due to internal jugular vein injury due to stab wound to the throat,” but it also revealed something far more telling: Gomez suffered eight stab wounds to the throat – four of which went two and a half inches deep, and another that went three and a half inches deep. For that reason, police have declared his death a murder.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Edward Broaster, Commander of Eastern Division Rural, told reporters that they are now conducting a murder investigation.
In an extended interview with Amandala, Williams gave a different account of what happened. He told Amandala that at about 5:00 Friday evening, Gomez came to his house and told him that he did not want to be found by someone who was looking for him, and he began to act strangely and began dodging behind the concrete blocks on the verandah of the upper flat of his house.
Williams said that Gomez then went downstairs and ran into the bushes, where he hid.
Shortly after, Gomez went up again into the house, he said, and went into the bathroom; he then came out again, got a crowbar and went back into the bathroom.
Williams told Amandala that he became worried when Gomez came out and went again on the verandah, where he changed his shirt and put on a red shirt. Gomez then went into the kitchen, got a knife and came back to the hall, where Williams was purportedly watching the evening news.
According to Williams, Gomez then put the knife to his throat, but Williams said he thought he was joking. Gomez, however, then slashed his own throat with the knife, claimed Williams.
Williams told Amandala that he immediately ran out of the house and went to alert a neighbor.
Police were called, and Gomez was taken down from the house. At this time, said Williams, Gomez was still alive, but was bleeding heavily.
Gomez was rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, but was declared dead on arrival.
Williams told Amandala he had no clue why Gomez slashed his throat, but noted that prior to the incident Gomez had been missing for about two weeks, but reportedly was with some unknown friends with whom he had been drinking, and something must have happened to him during that time. He also seems to have been hiding from a woman, said Williams.