The deadly gun violence that has been plaguing the City for so long continued as twenty-five-year-old Bejohn Martinez of Belize City was killed — execution style. Police say that around 9:00 this morning, near Mile 6 of the Northern Highway, the father of two was shot on a feeder road just off the Haulover Bridge.
The one fatal shot pierced the back of Martinez’s head, leaving him lying in a spreading pool of blood.
The first individuals to arrive at the scene say that Martinez was still alive and talking when they got there. A few minutes after, paramedics arrived and Martinez was taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.
But at around 10:30 a.m., an hour and a half after being shot, Martinez succumbed to his injury.
At the scene, one expended shell was recovered. Martinez’s body now awaits a post-mortem at the KHMH, while his mourning family is left with more questions than answers, as to why he was killed in such a fashion.
This evening we spoke to the family who is understandably trying to cope with the tragic news. According to them, Martinez was last seen at around 6:30 this morning. Martinez’ father, Francis Martinez, says he had last seen his son riding way from home on a bicycle. He said he received the tragic news at around 10:00 a.m. He described the news as “painful,” especially for him, who had adopted and raised Bejohn as his own from the age of nine months.
Martinez’ father described him as a “cool guy” at home, always playing with the children.
Keisha Martinez, Bejohn’s sister and confidant, also spoke with us, and noted that while he had had trouble with the law before, she does not believe that his murder had anything to do with the way he lived his life. Keisha says that after being acquitted of a robbery, Martinez had changed and before being shot, he had just filled out a form to apply for a job.
She commented: “It is really devastating; it is really devastating. Bejohn da mi breda and I know di good side of Bejohn, and the bad side of him. I have two daughters, and wen I kyant tek dehn da skool, Bejohn ker dehn fi mi. Wen ih come home, ih play with dehn. Ih read stori fi dehn so….
According to Keisha, her brother always confided in her whenever he needed to talk to somebody: “Me and he close. Wen ih have wan problem, ih always come to me fi advice. Ih no tel mi ‘bout anybody di threaten ah. You know ih get up and go normal. Ih go drap fi he gial friend and come back. Usually during the course of the day, at lease ih come three times and den ih come home and sleep da night. So wen I hea the news, it was devastating.”
Keisha said that Martinez had problems with the police, and that he had received threats from them. “The only problem, ih had was with the police, ah wan tell di truth. A time when dem hole am, when ih gaan da ih gial friend home, a police tell am that dem whe meet am up the road and kill am.”
Keisha wants justice for the death of her brother, but says she has lost faith in the justice system — “I wan justice, but eventually, da jus like di res ah murders that happen. Ih gwen just like that, you know. Ih just wan stay unsolved.”
In 2007, Martinez was charged with attempted murder and lately, he was acquitted of a robbery charge.
Bejohn leaves behind two children, Bejohn Martinez, Jr., 4, and daughter Kasia Martinez, 5.