In prison is where the Felix brothers, Maurice, 23, and Emory, 21, will spend the rest of their lives after Justice Adolph Lucas today sentenced them both for the 2006 murder of a Rastafarian, Mitchum Heredia.
The two brothers were convicted of Heredia’s murder, and one of them was accused of the attempted murder of the deceased’s friend, Romel Palacio, which occurred during a shooting sometime around 6:00 p.m. at #25 T-Street on April 10, 2006 in the Port Loyola area of Belize City.
Palacio’s testimony was what helped the prosecutor, Tracy Sosa, seal a conviction after Palacio positively identified both brothers, and one of them as the man who had shot after him and missed.
On October 11, Maurice and Emory were found guilty of murder by a jury of twelve. Maurice, who additionally was convicted of the attempted murder of Palacio, received an additional 15 years, to run concurrently with his life sentence.
Today mitigation pleas were heard on the brothers’ behalf from their mother, Janet Felix, and a Justice of the Peace, Rudolph Orlando Milton, Sr., who is also the brothers’ closest neighbor in the Port Loyola area.
During the mitigation pleas, Emory appeared very emotional when his mother spoke of how hard she had tried to help them achieve a good education and stay out of trouble. He was seen wiping his eyes in court.
After sentencing, Justice Lucas told them they were entitled to parole within the next 10 years.
Their sentence is to take effect as of October 11, when they were found guilty, said the judge.