Marie Sharp’s eldest son, who took over the management of the warehouse and sales depot for Marie Sharp’s famous products, was ambushed in his vehicle.
BELIZE CITY, Mon. Jan. 28, 2019– On Sunday, shortly after 12:00 a.m., police reportedly responded to a report that shots were fired on North Front Street, and when they arrived on the scene, they found the lifeless body of a man, identified as Michael Alexander Williams, 58.
Williams’ body was observed in his gold Chrysler Pacifica SUV, which had a hole on the right front glass window. Police reported that Williams, a manager and resident of Meighan Avenue, Belize City, was pronounced dead on arrival at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH).
Williams, the eldest son of businesswoman Marie Sharp, of the Famous Marie Sharp’s line of world-class habanero pepper sauces, jams and other fruit preserves, suffered gunshot injuries to the left shoulder and the left armpit.
Williams reportedly had gone to the vicinity of Zeta Ice Factory on North Front Street, where his girlfriend reportedly resides, to drop her off when he was targeted by two men who were dressed in dark clothing, police reported.
Williams and his girlfriend, whose name was not released by police, were seated in the vehicle when the attack occurred. She suffered cut wounds to her arm and was treated at the KHMH, and released.
Not only did police not release the woman’s name, but they did not say that she, as the only witness to the crime, had been interviewed by them. There is, therefore, no statement about her from police to the media.
Jody Williams, 33, a son of Michael Williams, told us today that he got the news about his father’s death through a Facebook post around 8:00 a.m.
“As soon as I saw the post, I called my brother and he told me that he was killed,” Williams said.
Williams said the last time he saw his father was midweek, around Wednesday, because, he said, “sometimes I am working in this area, because I am from down south.”
Williams said when he last saw his father, “he was in a jovial mood.”
“When I got the news Sunday morning, I was just preparing to go and jog. I was so devastated; me and my wife and children just got into the car, but I couldn’t drive. My brother-in-law had to drive us,” Williams explained.
Williams said, “My dad was the oldest son of Marie Sharp. She just lost her husband two weeks ago, and right now, she is devastated by my dad’s death.”
Williams explained that his father was always helping the community, especially the cycling community. He was very supportive of his son, who is a cyclist.
“He was a father figure. We always talk, even though I am in Dangriga,” Williams said.
Asked what he would say to the person who killed his father, Williams replied: “Justice will be served on whoever did this. Right now the police are hot on some leads.”
Williams said his father moved to Belize City in the late 1990s, taking over the management of the warehouse and sales depot for Marie Sharp products.
“He has been doing that work up to the time of his death,” Williams said, “he made a lot of friends here in Belize City, and was loved by many people. He would donate to the cyclist association, to St Catherine Academy, Pallotti and St. John’s College.”
“I don’t know who would want to senselessly take away my dad from us,” Williams said.
Williams will be particularly missed by the Belize cycling community, said Dion Leslie, the former president of Belize Cycling Federation.
“It’s amazing that he made contributions to young junior riders. If someone needed a bike, he would help them. He would call the other kids his sons. He wasn’t just Patrick’s dad, he helped everybody. He was dedicated to his son and all of the young cyclists. He was truly a father figure,” Leslie said.