Missing Teen Found Dead in Belize City as Double Murder Probe Intensifies

Tonight, there is a heartbreaking development in the search for 17-year-old Alwin Marin Junior.  The teenager, who had been missing since last Thursday, was found dead earlier today, just before eleven o’clock, in the Port Loyola area. His body was discovered deep within a heavily vegetated section known as the Dyke area, not far from where eighteen-year-old Jahleil Westby was found with fatal gunshot injuries last Friday, April 10.  The discovery brings a devastating close to days of frantic searching by police and family members, who had held on to hope that Marin would be found alive. Instead, the case has now escalated into a double murder investigation.  Marin’s grieving mother, Patricia Cardinez, says her pain has been compounded by what she describes as accusations from police during the search for her son. She claims that at one point, investigators suggested that she may have been hiding him.  Now, with her son’s body found, she says she is demanding answers and justice.

Patricia Cardinez, Mother of Deceased: “I feel good. I got up good, feeling good. God gave me the strength to find my son and I found my son today. He showed me the way and I found my son. I found my son in a part where we had searched and we didn’t find him but today I searched and I’m happy because I can put him to rest today. I believe his body was moved because we searched those areas and we didn’t find him there. Like how I found my son I want to know who killed my son because police ran up to my house, my sister’s house, my nephew’s house looking for my son because they said that they got information that I’m hiding my son. How am I hiding my son if I’m talking on the news and saying I’m searching for my son. So like how my son passed now and I found my son so who killed my son then ? Who killed my son ? Now I found my son now who killed my son because they said my son killed the young boy he was with so who killed my son now ? Right ? Who killed my son ? And I said I won’t let down my faith until I find my son and I will search until I find my son and today the father made me find my son so I’m happy now how I found my son so I can put my son to rest. That is the only question. My son’s body was already decomposing and his body was dark, black and behind his head was small look liked the shape of the horse, looked bad. I know my son. I know my son and the pants that he liked to wear and I know how his foot, everything it’s my son. I have on my son’s shirt. I have on my son’s shirt but I found my son so just like how they sent the police to my house I want them to send the police back to whosoever gave them information that I was hiding my child.”

Head of the National Crimes Investigation Branch, ACP Hilberto Romero, says the investigation is now entering a critical phase. He confirmed that Marin’s body was located in dense bushes within the Dyke area of the Port Loyola division and emphasized that forensic findings will be key in determining what transpired.

ACP Hilberto Romero, Head, National Crimes Investigation Branch: “This morning around 10am police and family members of Alwin Marin discovered his body in the Port area in Belize City after days of searching. The body has been retrieved and taken to the forensic laboratory where it awaits a post mortem examination. This report was made from last week Friday and from then searches were being conducted in the area. The body of Jaheel Westby was found on Friday. The body is partly decomposed so we will await a post mortem examination. They were together so it’s a case we were following from the day and we await the post mortem results for the body of Alwin Marin. That is what the scene is showing but they both ran way from that area in separate directions. This is the information we have, they had some issues with persons regarding the horses that are there by Port. He was found deep in the bushes so searches had been done and they extended the searches further in the bushes and that is where he was found. It took days o search. It’s a large area so it took days to search. We had detained several persons, they were interviewed but so far no one has been charged.”

Earlier this week, police had indicated that the case posed serious challenges due to the vast terrain and lack of surveillance in the area. Investigators have also been following reports of a possible disagreement, over horses, and involving the two teens prior to the incident.