_{Photo: Curtis Molina, charged}

Monkey River man charged for killing three family members

by Charles Gladden

BELIZE CITY, Tues. Dec. 17, 2024

_{Photo: (l-r) Eliana Garbutt, Elvis Garbutt, Sr., and Eliss Garbutt – all deceased}

Curtis Molina (Garbutt), 45, a resident of Monkey River Village, Toledo District, has been apprehended and officially charged in connection with the murder of his cousin and two members of his cousin’s family and the wounding of another member of that family—an 11-year-old girl.

The ghastly sequence of events was outlined in the Tuesday edition of the AMANDALA, and what they indicate is a great degree of premeditation and a shocking level of brutality (and apparent greed). Around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday night, December 14, the family of five—Elvis Garbutt, Sr., 39, his wife, Eliana Garbutt, 30, and their three children—ages 3, 8 and 11—were heading home in their Jeep Liberty on Monkey River Road after a night out, when Garbutt, Sr. stopped the car to clear the road of an obstruction that had allegedly been placed there by Molina.

While he was doing so, Molina appeared from out of some nearby bushes and fatally shot him with a 16-gauge shotgun. Then he went to the vehicle and turned his weapon to Garbutt, Sr.’s wife, 30-year-old Eliana Garbutt, and fatally shot her. Molina then took 3-year-old Ellis Garbutt out of the vehicle and allegedly proceeded to beat him to death with an object.

Lastly, he fired a shot inside the vehicle in the direction of the couple’s two other children – 11-year-old Emerita and her brother, 8-year-old Elvis Garbutt, Jr.—who reportedly fled the scene. Emerita ran and alerted nearby residents of the incident, and was then taken to the Southern Regional Hospital with injuries to her face and hand. As a result of her injuries, she lost two of her fingers but is recovering. Meanwhile, Elvis, Jr. was later found unharmed by patrolling police after he had run an estimated three miles.

When police arrived at the scene, they found Elvis, Sr.’s lifeless body lying face-down near the vehicle on the roadside, while his wife was in a slumped position in the passenger seat, and their toddler lay face-down in some mud. The family’s dog was also killed in the shooting and was found in the back seat.

Police were able to capture Molina shortly after the incident occurred, and they currently believe that Molina’s attack on the family was part of a robbery attempt, as he allegedly knew that Elvis, Sr. had recently withdrawn a large sum of money that he was going to use to purchase a skiff.

Molina has been charged with three counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder.