ORANGE WALK, Tues. Dec. 28, 2021– Police are attempting to piece together information they have gathered to determine what circumstances led to the killing of Steve Gilbert Patten, 57, in Orange Walk on Christmas Day. Patten had reportedly been returning from the home of friends of his after a night of socializing and was en route to his home when he was ambushed and stabbed multiple times by an unknown assailant. His body was found on Saturday morning around 8:00 on St. Martin Street in Orange Walk Town in an area near the cemetery. In addition to the stab wounds on his body, his throat had been slit. His brother, Garrett Patten, believes that someone in a vehicle picked him up as he was heading home and took him to the area where he was killed.
According to reports, he was last seen leaving his friend’s home on Santa Marie Street and heading in the direction of the Old Cemetery in Orange Walk at about 2:30 in the morning on December 25. Garrett Patten told local reporters that his brother was likely under the influence of alcohol as he walked home after the hours of celebrating. He further speculated that the person who picked his brother up and caused his death is likely someone he knew, and he also expressed his belief that a murder which occurred previously at the same location is linked to his brother’s death. (In February of 2019, the body of a University of Belize student, Dwayne Cummings, who was also an athlete, was found in the same area, which is known as “garbage dump site”.)
“Steven was with a friend spending the Christmas all day and it got to the point where the information came out that he left from there about 2:00 a.m. in the morning, but not to go far away… He went to another address with some individuals, and they continued their paranda, and that was up to about 3:30 a.m. Christmas morning and then they left from there and everybody went their own way. So Steven, he had to be heading for home. Everybody here knows Steve. He wouldn’t hurt a fly. As a matter of fact, Steven didn’t know the inside of the police station.,” Patten explained to a local reporter.
After Steve Patten’s body was discovered, it was transported to the Northern Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Police have indicated that it will be difficult to ascertain where Patten went and what transpired during the hours that elapsed after he was last seen alive at 1:30 a.m.
on Saturday and before he was found dead around 8:00 a.m. that same morning, since no one would likely have been on the street during that period, given the curfew hours.
Police have interviewed several relatives and friends of the deceased and have said that the information they collected may lead to an arrest in a matter of time. They reported that the murder weapon, a knife stained with what is believed to be the victim’s blood, was found near the scene.
Police’s investigation continues.