_{Jesse James Smith, acquitted}

by Roy Davis (freelance writer)

BELIZE CITY, Mon. Mar. 3, 2025

A jury of 5 men and 4 women deliberated for over 4 hours today in the court of Justice Derek Sylvester before it found Jesse James Smith, 31, a boat captain of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, not guilty of causing death by careless conduct in relation to an accident at sea which resulted in the death of Logan Pratt, 17, an American tourist who was visiting Belize with her mother, Tamara Pratt. The jury’s verdict was unanimous.

The incident occurred on the morning of Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2023.

Logan and Tamara were swimming in the Playa Blanca area, located 8 miles from San Pedro Town, when a fiberglass boat, Matthew, driven by Smith, ran over Logan, fatally injuring her. There was a large cut wound to the left side of her groin.

Smith gave a statement from the dock in which he admitted that his boat ran over Logan; but he said he did not see anyone in the water, and when he felt a thud, he stopped the boat and reversed and he then saw Logan surface, bleeding profusely. Tamara surfaced afterwards, he said. He said that he was not careless, and he had been traveling at normal speed.

With the help of a tour guide and one of four tourists who were in the boat, Smith pulled Logan and Tamara on board, and Logan was rushed to the polyclinic in San Pedro Town, where she succumbed to her injuries.

Smith was going from north to south, coming from Mexico Rock and heading to San Pedro Town, when the accident occurred.

Tamara testified virtually and said that she and Logan were not snorkeling, and that they were swimming in an area where people are allowed to swim. She said that they were fishing with spear guns.

Another witness for the Crown, who was in the water, testified that the boat was going fast and it struck Logan on her head.

Smith, a boat captain with 15 years of experience, is married and is the father of two children. He was full of gratitude when the jury delivered its verdict and Justice Sylvester told him that he was free to go.

Smith was represented by attorney Audrey Matura, while the Crown was represented by Crown Counsel Glenfield Dennison.

(AMANDALA Ed. Note: Jesse Smith is an active semipro footballer, a skilled midfielder on the San Pedro Pirates FC team and is a former National U20 team player.)