Photo: Roy Lee Burgess, deceased
by Kristen Ku
BELIZE CITY, Mon. Apr. 15, 2024
One man is dead and a woman is injured following a fatal shooting in Placencia over the weekend.
On April 14, police, responding to reports of a shooting, discovered the lifeless body of 32-year-old Roy Lee Burgess, who had sustained fatal gunshot wounds. At the same scene, Maya James, 26, was found with a gunshot injury to her face.
Reports reveal that both individuals and Burgess’ young son were in a vehicle which was parked on the side of the Placencia road, near the Finca Beach Villa, and Maya was about to exit the vehicle, when a male assailant, who was passing in that area, pulled out a gun and fired several shots at them.
James was promptly transported for medical attention and is currently in recovery, while Burgess was pronounced dead at the hospital. Luckily, Burgess’ child, 13, escaped unharmed.
According to the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Hilberto Romero, the motive behind the shooting is believed to be a domestic dispute involving the deceased. “We have established that it is from a domestic dispute, and that is what led to this murder. It stemmed from an incident, that the deceased had … He was having an affair with the female he was with,” Romero explained.
So far, police have identified a male suspect linked to the murder and are actively seeking him.
No prior reports had been presented to police regarding the situation; however, it was revealed that Roy Burgess’s life had been under threat following a recent breakup he had with a female.
Unfortunately, the father of one now makes the 5th domestic murder victim seen within the span of one month in Belize, and the second murder victim for Saturday.