Last week Wednesday, October 24, sometime between 10:00-11:00 p.m., the body of Biscayne resident Hubert Alexander Gillett, 32, a.k.a. “Peacemaker,” also known by relatives as “Habat,” was found by a passerby on the road between Mile 28 and 29 on the Northern Highway, which runs through Biscayne Village.
Gillett was found lying on the right hand side of the road, his body pointing towards Belize City, said a friend to relatives.
Yesterday, Gillett, whose latest song “War,” was a special feature on Father’s Day of this year, was laid to rest on his private property, at Mile 28 on the Northern Highway, after funeral services at the Sandhill Zion Methodist Protestant Church.
How Gillett may have met his untimely death is what has his relatives searching for answers tonight.
Last week Wednesday night, when police first got the news of a body lying on the road, they initially thought that they were dealing with a possible hit-and-run traffic accident.
They had no clues as to who the suspect was until today, when an eyewitness’ information to police had them thinking that Gillett may have been run over intentionally.
The eyewitness claims he was standing by the side of the road in Biscayne, in the Belize District, around 10:00 that night, and saw Gillett pass by on a bicycle. Right afterwards, a vehicle that he described as a dark colored Mercedes Benz passed him with only its park lights on. The eyewitness said that about 15 minutes later he saw the same dark vehicle pass him again, returning from the direction in which it had gone, this time with no lights on.
At the time of the accident Gillett was riding his bicycle from his grandmother’s home, located at Mile 22, to his home, at Mile 28. Just a half mile from his home he was hit by the vehicle and left on the road to die. One foot of his boots was found in the bushes, along with a CD, a toothbrush, a pair of boxers and his bicycle, which was badly damaged. A large wound was seen in the middle of his forehead, said relatives who viewed his body after the alleged hit-and-run traffic accident. Gillett succumbed to his injuries at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.
The witness, on the scene, immediately made a 911 call to the police. The call was forwarded to police in Corozal, but he told them that they needed to set up a checkpoint going to Belize City.
Early this morning, a resident of the area, a man whose name and age have not yet been released by police, turned himself in to police custody in the presence of his attorney, Simeon Sampson.
The man told friends that he had heard that police were looking for him.
That was untrue, said police, because they had no wanted posters out, nor were they looking for any person in connection with the alleged hit-and-run accident.
Police say they have released the person due to lack of evidence, but they are presently investigating whether or not he owns a vehicle that fits the description of the vehicle described to them by the eyewitness.
The mother of the deceased, Elsie-Mae Young, 47, who spoke with Amandala tonight, strongly believes that her son was killed intentionally. She believes, based on rumors that she has overheard, that her son’s death was because of jealousy over a girl that he never had a romantic relationship with.
His relatives say they want justice, that the man who is responsible for the crime must be punished.
The car that is believed to have been involved in the accident has reportedly been destroyed already, but police could not confirm this. They are trying to ascertain whether or not the person who turned himself in did own a vehicle as described by the eyewitness, but up until today, that has not been established.
Allegations coming from the family are that Gillett was also beaten before being left to die, but there is no evidence, at presstime, to prove these allegations.
A post-mortem conducted by Dr. Mario Estradabran has certified that Gillett died at about 10:30 p.m. from traumatic shock due to multiple injuries due to a road traffic accident.