by Charles Gladden
BELIZE CITY, Wed. Dec. 13, 2023
A postmortem exam conducted on the body of 82-year-old William Watson, Jr., whose body was found after firefighters extinguished a blaze that engulfed his home in the St. Martin De Porres area, has revealed that he did not die as a result of the fire, but had, in fact, been murdered.
Watson’s two-story home, located at the corner of Banak and Zericote Streets, was reportedly engulfed in flames around 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 5.
Watson resided alone in the upper wooden portion of the home, which was extensively damaged on the right side facing Zericote Street, while the lower concrete portion sustained water, fire, and heat damages.
The National Fire Service later indicated that the fire was caused by a television inside the living room that had overheated, while Watson was lying approximately six feet away on the couch.
At the time of the report, it was unclear whether Watson’s death had been caused by the smoke or the flames. Station Supervisor Kenneth Mortis had told reporters, “We are waiting for confirmation from the Police Department forensic team to ascertain whether Mr. Watson died as a result of the fire or he died [before] the fire.” Well, the Belize Police Department has now confirmed that the deceased Watson had actually been fatally stabbed.
During a post-mortem examination of Watson’s body, multiple stab wounds were discovered on his neck, and it has been certified that he died as a result of being stabbed.
“It is extremely tough,” said Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams. “That one left us for the simple fact that at the initial stage, the information was that he died from the fire, maybe smoke inhalation or something of that sort. But having done the post-mortem examination, it revealed that he died from multiple stab wounds. After he was stabbed and murdered, then the house was set on fire,” he added.
A possible motive for Watson’s murder could have been robbery. It is suggested that the person(s) who killed him entered his home in an attempt to steal his belongings, and killed him in the process. Any evidence that could have proven this, however, was likely burnt in the fire.
“It’s difficult to say, because the house was extensively damaged, and even if there was forced entry with the door, we wouldn’t be able to tell, because that was also destroyed during the fire; but we’re trying to work along with the fire department as well as the National Forensic Service to see what we can come up with to be able to guide the investigation,” he said.
ComPol Williams noted that there were persons living downstairs, but it is still unclear whether they were present at the time of the incident. Investigators have been analyzing footage from nearby surveillance cameras that could be of assistance.
No one has been detained in connection with the murder or fire yet.