_{Photo: Roy Lee Burgess, deceased}

by Charles Gladden

DANGRIGA, Stann Creek District, Mon. Apr. 15, 2024

A man in Dangriga Town was slain on his property over the weekend while in the company of a male friend. The deceased has been identified as 43-year-old Darren Taylor, also known as “Dolla Coin”, an entrepreneur.

According to initial reports, on Saturday night, April 13, after 8:00 p.m., Taylor was on the verandah of his home on Oak Street socializing with another man when his assailant snuck up from behind his home and fired several gunshots at close range, killing Taylor at the scene.

The unknown triggerman then fled the scene in the direction of Magoon Street, leaving Taylor’s bloody and motionless body. A bullet hole would also later be spotted in the front passenger window of Taylor’s Mitsubishi Trailblazer, which was parked inside of the yard.

Reports are suggesting that Taylor was the intended target, as he had a large amount of cash on his person when he was slain; however, his assailant didn’t take those sums of money, thus diminishing the possibility that robbery was a motive for the crime.

The deceased Taylor was a well-known individual in the Dangrgia area, and unconfirmed reports have suggested that the murder was the result of a recent land and money disagreement in which the deceased had been involved.

“We know he was very involved with that [and] that is what we are looking at. He had several matters in the courts, as well as outside of the courts, so we are looking at all of those,” said ACP Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander of the Belize Police Department’s Eastern Division.

“… All the information we have is over business dealings. That is the information we are following upon,” he added.

Several persons were detained by police and one individual is being sought by police in Dangriga in connection with this murder.