by Kristen Ku

BELIZE CITY, Tues. Sept. 4, 2023

The family of 71-year-old Russell Garbutt, who went missing a year ago, is seeking the public’s help in finding him.

Pauline Bailey, his niece who resides in the US, last heard about Russell in June 2022, just prior to the onset of Hurricane Lisa. At that time, he was reportedly at the Western Regional Hospital in Belmopan.

“I guess he was getting very combative, and I guess they put him out, and that was around the time that the hurricane was coming, so I don’t know where he went and we don’t know what happened to him. And nobody has seen or heard about him ever since then,” Bailey shared with Amandala.

Russell, diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder 33 years ago in Chicago, once lived in that US state with his wife, Rhoda Garbutt, and their three children.

After his diagnosis, Russell parted ways with Rhoda, his wife of 27 years, and moved back to Belize to be cared for by his parents, Castella Chrissida Garbutt (née Williams) and her husband Leonard Garbutt, in Placencia.

As an only child, however, Russell found himself alone following the deaths of both his parents four years ago.

He became somewhat of a wanderer, and was often seen in the Belize District. Locals recognized him frequently at the BTL Park and near an 8-Mile bus stop, where a kind vendor provided him with meals.

The circumstances that led Russell to the hospital in Belmopan remain unclear to his family. They now hope that media attention will help locate Russell.

It’s worth noting that his wife, Rhoda, currently resides in the US, where she is recovering from a stroke.