by Charles Gladden

BELIZE CITY, Wed. Sept. 18, 2024

Former police officer, Elmer Nah, 40, who has been charged with triple murder, appeared in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, September 17, in Belize City. He is accused of being the gunman who disrupted a New Year’s Eve gathering in Belmopan on December 31, 2022, and fired a number of shots that killed three persons, two of whom died at the scene while a third passed away a couple weeks later.

Nah is facing three counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, and one count of use of deadly means of harm in connection with the deaths of two brothers – Jon and David Ramnarace, and Jon’s wife, Vivian Belisle Ramnarace, who were all shot along with David’s partner, Yemi Alberto, at Jon and Vivian’s residence in the Maya Mopan area of Belmopan.

The incident occurred on New Year’s Eve when the two siblings were socializing at the residence with their respective partners. Nah allegedly stepped into the yard firing multiple shots at the brothers (who died at the scene) and chasing their partners into the home, where he wounded Jon’s wife, Vivian, with approximately 6 shots; she died 15 days after the initial shooting. Also, Yemi Alberto (David’s partner) received gunshot wounds but survived the ordeal.

After Nah’s first court appearance and onward, he has continued to profess his innocence. His trial, however, has been adjourned multiple times for a variety of reasons.

Once again this week, when he appeared in court with attorneys Lynden Jones and Godfrey Smith, the case was adjourned until September 26 due to a lack of supportive documents for one of the charges. If the trial had not been adjourned, Nah would have been asked to enter a plea, which would have then triggered a trial date.

It was explained by Justice Nigel Pilgrim that under the Indictable Procedures Act, the charge of use of deadly means of harm is to be heard by a judge and jury.

Nah was remanded back to the Belize Central Prison until his next court appearance on September 26.