Paul Castillo, 66, was chopped to death in his house

COROZAL TOWN, Mon. Oct. 21, 2019– Paul Anthony Castillo, 66, a self-employed newspaper salesman of 5th Street South, Corozal Town, was socializing in his house on Saturday night with his son and his son’s friend, who came to visit him from Belize City, but something went terribly wrong.

Castillo got into an argument with the two men, and inexplicably, according to police, they beat and savagely chopped Castillo in his house.

Neighbors who heard the fight and cries for help coming from the house, called police, who found Castillo lying on his bed in pools of his blood. He had been chopped on the left foot, right foot, right hand, and left hand, and in the face, head, chest and neck, and he was already dead.

Police also said that on their arrival at the gruesome scene at about 1:30 Sunday morning, they were greeted with the odor of gasoline in the house, which made them believe that an attempt was going to be made to burn down the house, which was thwarted because of the killers’ haste to escape when they knew police were coming.

An immediate investigation led to the two men from Belize City — Earl Bowden, 47, a plumber of Buttonwood Bay, Belize City, and Norman Justo Castillo, 38, a tour guide of Belama Phase 2, Belize City. The two were jointly charged with murder for the death of Paul Castillo.

It is not yet known what happened that led Justo Castillo, Paul Castillo’s son, and Earl Bodden, his son’s friend, to carry out the horrendous act of brutality on the 66-year-old father.

Today, the men were arraigned at the Corozal Magistrate’s Court by Magistrate Ed Usher. No plea was taken from them and they were both remanded until December 23.

Earl Bodden is known to police. He was charged with aggravated robbery and harm for the robbery of a 15-year-old boy, which occurred on Dolphin Street, Belize City, on February 17, 2017.

The minor told police that he was riding his bicycle, when Bodden hit him in the chest and head with a bottle and robbed him. He was taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where a doctor classified the minor’s injury as harm.

Bodden was found guilty and was fined $800 plus $5 cost of court. He escaped a jail sentence because a plea of mitigation was made on his behalf. He was additionally fined $200 plus $5 cost of court for the harm done to the boy.

He was ordered to pay the fines by December 1, 2018, or in default of payment he will spend 8 months in prison — 6 months for robbery and 2 months for harm.