SAN PEDRO, Ambergris Caye, Wed. July 11, 2018– On Thursday at around 11:50 a.m., Cliff Kirk, 60, an American retiree, was in his home, which is located ten miles away from San Pedro Town and is only accessible by water, when four men wearing masks entered his yard and shot him in the head. They then entered his home and stole a briefcase full of money, a 9mm pistol, and a 12-gauge shotgun.
In yesterday’s Amandala, we reported that three persons — Christian Espat, 22; Nigel Williams, 25; and a 16-year-old — had been charged with aggravated burglary, attempted murder, dangerous harm and use of deadly means of harm.
However, the attempted murder charge will now be upgraded to murder, since Kirk succumbed to his injuries yesterday, July 10, while receiving treatment at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.
According to the San Pedro Sun, Kirk and his wife, Linda, have been residing in Belize since the 1980’s and when they fell in love with Ambergris Caye, they acquired a property north of the island and named it “Cases Brisas.” Kirk was described as having a quirky sense of humor and a gregarious personality.
He and Linda have been very active in the island’s community, facilitating the Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA) and participating in forums to “strengthen the working relationships within organizations in Ambergris Caye,” according to the San Pedro Sun.
In 2000, the Kirks even were involved in the donation of a fire truck to Ambergris Caye from Cherryville, North Carolina.
Kirk and his wife were both retirees from the American Armed Forces.