SAN PEDRO, Ambergris Caye, Thurs. Feb. 19, 2015–Police say that they have found the bodies of two men – Benjamin Molina, 23, and Sylvin Chi, 41 – buried in a single shallow grave about 50 feet from the seaside in some bushes in an area about 11 1/2 miles north of San Pedro Town.
Both men had been shot. Chi had been blasted in the head with a shotgun, and Molina had been shot in the head with a 9mm pistol.
The gruesome discovery was made at about 11:30 yesterday morning, Wednesday, by police and a search team that had been formed to find them after they were reported missing and were last seen in the area by the caretaker of a house at which they had been staying.
According to a police report, yesterday morning a caretaker from 11 1/2 miles north of San Pedro Town went to the police station and reported that his co-workers, Sylvin Chi, 41, and Benjamin Molina, 23, left the house at about 5:00 Tuesday morning and did not return.
As a result, a team of police officers, assisted by the Coast Guard, proceeded to the area, where they saw blood in the bushes on the side of the road. They followed the trail, and about 50 yards into the bushes from the beach, police found a freshly dug area covered with dry leaves and sticks.
The area was dug up, and in the shallow grave, which was about two feet deep, the search party found the bodies of two men.
The two bodies were retrieved and a post-mortem was conducted on the site, after which the bodies were taken back to San Pedro for burial by their families, who live in Corozal Town.
The area of northern San Pedro where the men were found is known to be a hot spot for drug deals and for criminal activity. Police believe that the men were walking along the beach to find drugs when they encountered drug dealers, who tortured and killed them.
The two men reportedly told the caretaker Tuesday morning that they were going to look for coconuts along the beach. The caretaker reported that throughout the day and that night, they failed to return, and he became worried, and yesterday, he went to police to report them missing.
Inspector Jemmott, Deputy Commander of the San Pedro police, told Amandala that fortunately, someone knew they were missing, or else, they would have just disappeared, like so many others who walk the beach in the very dangerous area looking for drugs.
Superintendent Castellanos said that they were told that the men make coconut oil to sell, but they, the police, believe that the men were engaging in a search for drugs.
Police have since launched an investigation into the double murder, but have no suspects as yet.