Photo: Rayford Mejia

by Roy Davis (freelance reporter)

BELIZE CITY, Wed. May 3, 2023

The verdict was guilty of murder, for Rayford Mejia, 21, when he appeared today before Justice Ricardo Sandcroft.

Justice Sandcroft has deferred sentencing until June 16.

Mejia was found guilty of the murder of police constable Osborne “Ozzy” Martinez, who was shot and killed in the mid-morning of Friday, November 2, 2018, when he and other police officers responded to a robbery that was in progress at Belcove Hotel, located on Regent Street West.

Two other men, Glen Lopez, 25, and Tyrique Myles, 24, were charged jointly with Mejia, but they pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter last year.

In his summation of Mejia’s trial, Justice Sandcroft said that the only basis on which culpability could be found was that it was a case of joint enterprise. He said that he was satisfied that the Crown had proved its allegation against Mejia beyond a reasonable doubt. He further intimated that Mejia may have been the mastermind behind the armed robbery, but said that each of the accused shared the intention to commit the offence.

Three guns were retrieved by the police at the scene of the crime, but Mejia, during his testimony in court, said that they only took two guns and the purpose was to use them to scare any persons who were at the hotel.

But Justice Sandcroft did not believe that Mejia and his accomplices only intended to use the guns to stir fear, because they were loaded, he said.

When the police arrived at the scene, there was an exchange of gunfire between them and the perpetrators, and during that shootout, Martinez was fatally injured.

Mejia was represented by attorney Oscar Selgado, who has served the court notice of his intention to appeal.

The Crown was represented by Crown Counsel Reese Cattouse.