Keyren Tzib found guilty of attempted murder of Coast Guard colleague – shooting was no accident, says judge

By Aaron Humes: Tonight, interdicted female Coast Guard, 33-year-old, Keyren Lavaun Tzib is in custody at the Queen Street Police Station pending release on bail, after being convicted this afternoon of the attempted murder by shooting of former colleague Kurt Hyde nearly nine years ago.

Hyde was shot once in the back of the head with an M4 carbine rifle while driving a boat from the Coast Guard’s San Pedro Town base to Belize City headquarters. He survived, although the bullet he never saw coming damaged nerves in his face and deadened feeling in that area.

In her summary of the case, High Court Justice Candace Nanton found that the shooting could not have been an accident as claimed by Tzib in her defense in court, and that Tzib’s diagnosed mental illness had nothing to do with shooting Hyde. She will be sentenced on April 26.

Attorney for Tzib Darrell Bradley successfully argued for bail, citing his client’s mental condition as a reason to avoid remand. Bail was set at $15,000 and sureties of $5,000 each.

As part of conditions to her bail, Tzib must make an appointment with chief psychiatrist Dr Alejandro Matus for the Ministry of Health to undergo a psychiatric evaluation; report to the Orange Walk Town police station on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; report at the High Court once a week until sentencing takes place; avoid contact with Kurt Hyde; attend all follow-up sessions with her doctor and take all her clinical treatment as required; submit to the Human Development Department for a report to the court within seven days; surrender all her travel documents to the High Court; not to apply for any other traveling documents; not to leave the jurisdiction of Belize and not to be arrested and charged with any other offenses whilst out on bail.

Over time, Justice Nanton stated, some memories were inconsistent, confused, or lapsed, but with all that was before the court, she was convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that on April 6, 2015, when Tzib was seen standing on the boat with the M4 Carbine rifle aiming it in Hyde’s direction, it was no accident – there was intent to at least harm and possibly kill Hyde. She was heard to use an expletive in Hyde’s direction after firing the shot and stating that he had his gun which he did not use. Testimony established that the weapon was already cocked and held in a manner showing intent of use.

Tzib also could not have been insane at the time of the shooting, the judge ruled, dismissing Tzib’s claim that she did not know how to use the M4 carbine rifle.

In her defense, two nurses who are mental health experts who treated Tzib before and after the shooting testified. One said she was diagnosed with anxiety and depression following an alleged rape, and immediately following the incident, with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which the other confirmed as having grown more pronounced in the years since. She had not been on treatment and had not exhibited any signs of psychosis before the incident, and therefore should have been able to understand what she was doing and the consequences.

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