_{(l-r) William “Danny” Mason and Ryan Rhaburn}

by Roy Davis (Freelance Writer)

BELIZE CITY, Tues. Apr. 29, 2025

A jury of 5 men and 4 women is hearing the case of William Danny Mason and Ryan Rhaburn, charged with 2 counts of kidnapping, which began today in the court of Justice Nigel Pilgrim.

Mason is also facing a charge of blackmail in relation to the same incident.

The alleged kidnapping occurred on May 31, 2016. One of the main witnesses, Lloyd Friesen, 45, a Mennonite farmer of Spanish Lookout, took the witness stand, and in a lengthy testimony, explained how he and his wife, Rosy, were kidnapped by Mason and his ranch manager, Rhaburn.

Friesen said he had become acquainted with Mason about 2 years prior to the incident, at a meeting in Belmopan.

Friesen testified that he made an arrangement with Mason for Mason to handle the purchase of corn from Argentina and supply it to a company in Guatemala.

Mason was supposed to do the shipping through a company called Brinks Global Services. But Mason did not carry out the arrangement; and he had given Mason the money, over $300,000, in advance, said Friesen.  Friesen told the court that on May 13, 2016, he contacted Mason to get his money back; and Mason agreed to refund him, and told him to come to his house on May 31, 2016, for the money.

Friesen said he went with Rosy to Mason’s house on Intelco Hill in Belmopan and there he met pastor Llewellyn Lucas, whom Mason introduced to him as his business partner.

Friesen testified that when he and Rosy went to Mason’s house, he walked up the steps, and he was approached by one of Mason’s workers, and he was made to sit on a bench while he waited for Mason to arrive. He said Rosy had gone out of the yard to get some documents from their pick-up truck.

He said Mason came and told him that he needed to relax; and then Mason told him that he only had $235,000 at the moment, and that he would bring the balance in the evening; and then Mason went back inside. Then a couple of men came out, and one of them pointed a gun to his forehead and demanded that he hand over all his belongings, said Friesen.

Friesen said he gave them his belongings, and they proceeded to tie his hands behind his back. He testified that the men also tied Rosy’s hands behind her back when Rosy returned and joined him on the bench. After that, they covered his face with a cloth and marched him down to a little room, and somebody took off his shoes and asked him if he was ready to die.

Friesen testified that he recognized the voice of one of thepersons who were in the room as that of Mason. He said that after the cloth was taken from his face, he saw Mason and Rhaburn; and he identified both of them as the persons sitting in the dock.

Friesen said the men demanded that he give them $10,000 every week as protection fees, and he told them that there was no way he could give them that kind of money; and they let him and his wife go after they agreed to being given $2,500 every week.

Friesen was contacted by phone and informed of the location at which he was to meet the men to make the first payment, but he never did because he made a report to the police.

Mason is being represented by Peter Taylor, an attorney from Trinidad, while Rhaburn is being represented by Senior Counsel Simeon Sampson and attorney Ian Gray.

The Crown is being represented by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Cheryl-Lynn Vidal.

Mason is currently serving a life sentence for the murder of Pastor Llewellyn Lucas who was beheaded and whose severed head was found inside a bucket in the back of Mason’s pick-up truck.