by Roy Davis (freelance reporter)

BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Dec. 21, 2023

Hildebrandt Codd, 36, who escaped from the High Court on December 5, after being transported there from prison for the delivery of the verdict in his murder case, was found guilty of murder today in a judgement 83 pages long which was handed down by Justice Ricardo Sandcroft.

His sentencing has been deferred until January 12, 2024. Meanwhile, Justice Sandcroft has ordered a victim impact assessment statement and a social inquiry report.

Codd, who is still at large, was convicted of the murder of Densmore Bowman, 34, a resident of Belmopan. Bowman’s partly decomposed body was found on December 16, 2019, in a shallow grave between Miles 23 and 24 on the George Price Highway. He had been missing for about 2 weeks.

Justice Sandcroft explained that, although there was no direct evidence, the circumstantial evidence was enough to convict Codd beyond a reasonable doubt. He referred to the testimony of the woman who is the mother of Codd’s child and to whom Codd had confided, telling her that he spent his last $60 to get Bowman drunk, and how he hacked Bowman to death with a machete. It was the same woman who told Bowman’s sister where to find his body.

Justice Sandcroft also pointed to the DNA evidence which showed that the blood on the seat belt of Codd’s car matched Bowman’s DNA.

Codd testified at the trial and admitted that he was with Bowman and another man drinking at a club in Roaring Creek on the night Bowman disappeared, but claimed that he gave his car to the other man to take Bowman home after that other individual had taken him (Codd) home. Codd said he did not know what happened afterwards because he went to sleep.

However, Justice Sandcroft did not believe his testimony, and he was found guilty.

Codd was represented by Senior Counsel Ellis Arnold, while the Crown was represented by Crown Counsel Portia Ferguson.