_{Photo: (l-r) Karl Lindo and Christopher Smith, charged}

by Charles Gladden

BELIZE CITY, Mon. Dec. 16, 2024

Police have arrested two men who they believe are responsible for the deaths of 37-year-old Marvin Cante and 32-year-old Juan Raymundo—taxi drivers of the Maya Mopan area of Belmopan – whose remains were found on Wednesday, December 11 in a shallow grave in Hattieville, Belize District.

_{Photo: (l-r) Juan Raymundo and Marvin Cante, deceased}

Reports indicated that on the day the two men disappeared, Raymundo had departed from his common-law wife’s home in Belmopan in a borrowed car around noon along with Cante, his cousin, and the two headed towards Belize City. Attempts were made throughout the day to reach Raymundo; however, they were unsuccessful.

The cousins never reached their destination, and the vehicle in which they had been traveling was later found by police with the engine running near Mile 24 on the George Price Highway. Inside the vehicle, the police saw blood stains and a pair of keys belonging to Cante.

A week after the discovery of the vehicle, the lifeless bodies of both Cante and Raymundo were found badly decomposed on the Dollar Bank Road in Hattieville in a shallow grave.

Police initially identified one suspect who they believed was connected to the death of both Cante and Raymundo. Subsequently, however, they were able to connect two men to the crime – 21-year-old Karl Lindo of Hattieville and 21-year-old Christopher Smith of Belize City. Lindo and Smith have been charged with two counts of murder.

According to ACP Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander for the Belize Police Department’s Eastern Division, Cante and Raymundo went to Hattieville to conduct a transaction; however, the deal went sideways and both men were killed and buried.

ACP Romero confirmed that the two accused are known to them and are connected to the selling of illicit items.

Police are searching for two more suspects.