Man who shot and killed PC Osborne Martinez convicted of murder

Published by BBNTEAM at May 3, 2023

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Posted: Wednesday, May 3, 2023. 1:29 pm CST.

By Breaking Belize News Staff: Just under five years ago, Police Constable #1397, Osborne Michael Martinez, was shot and killed while responding to a robbery at the Belcove Hotel in Belize City. This week, the man accused of firing the fatal shot was convicted of murder.

On Tuesday, Rayford Mejía, one of three accused charged in connection with the incident, appeared in the High Court of Belize where Justice Ricardo O’neil Sandcroft handed down the guilty verdict.

Justice Sandcroft said that the prosecution’s evidence was such that it proved that Mejía was not only involved in the incident where PC Martinez lost his life but that he was the one who fired the shot that killed him.

The other co-accused Glen Lopez and Tyrique Myles, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter back in November 2022. Justice Sandcroft has deferred sentencing for all three men to June 16.

On November 2, 2018, Martinez and other officers quickly responded to the robbery report and met the culprits exiting the building. Eyewitnesses testified that the three men held customers and hotel staff at gunpoint. The crown’s main witness further testified that she saw Mejía point the gun at PC Martinez and fire the shot. She said PC Martinez then fell to the ground.

In his defense, Mejía said that they only took the gun to scare people and had no intention to kill anyone.

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