_{Photo: Ian Herrera, charged}

by Charles Gladden

BELIZE CITY, Fri. Aug. 23, 2024

An additional person has been charged in connection with the deaths of 66-year-old Joel “New York” Andrews, a pig farmer from Hattieville, Belize District, and his worker, Martin Sho, originally from Punta Gorda Town, in late October of last year.

The men’s bodies were reportedly found inside a wheelbarrow that had been placed in a pond a distance away from Andrews’s property in the “faamah area”, which is in a remote location approximately two miles from a road in the vicinity of Mile 17 on the Philip Goldson Highway.

Sho’s body reportedly had been chopped multiple times, while there were gunshot wounds on Andrews’s body. According to reports, Andrews had resided at the property for the past 15 years, and would park his vehicle inside his neighbor’s yard and retrieve it the following morning.

His neighbors knew something was wrong, as they heard screams for help coming from the direction of Andrews’ property on the night he was murdered.

Months after the double murder, police arrested 22-year-old Blake Lewis for allegedly firing gunshots at an off-duty police officer in Hattieville. Lewis was slapped with a slew of charges – attempted murder, discharging a firearm in public, aggravated assault, and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition. Subsequently, sufficient evidence emerged to tie him to the murder of Andrews and Sho.

On Thursday, August 22, police informed the media that Lewis was charged with two counts of murder along with 25-year-old construction worker, Ian Herrera, of the Belize District.

Andrews was a well-known figure in Belize City, as he would be seen selling vegetables at the Michael Finnegan Market.