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On Saturday morning San Pedro Police discovered the body of John Paul Saldivar. He had been tortured and then shot multiple times – including a shot to his head. The body was found in an area known as Rocky Point that is situated to the north of San Pedro Town. Authorities strongly believe the execution is connected to a large quantity of cocaine that was found floating in the waters off the island. No one has been arrested as yet for the murder but on Friday night, police did take Eric Swan into custody; they believe he is involved in a case that is connected to the drug trade.

And here’s how he was caught: on Friday the police responded to information that someone had been shot by individuals who were seen fleeing in a boat. Police tracked down that boat and say that Swan reportedly pulled out a gun and pointed it at the approaching officers. Eric Swan was shot, but during the exchange the other suspect jumped overboard and escaped into some nearby mangroves. Eric Swan however was taken into custody and remains under guard at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital

The police then detained a number of individuals and based on information they received around four twenty on Monday evening returned to an area a mile away from the Rocky Point location. Sources tell 7NEWS when the police arrived at the location they observed a blood trail that led them to an area where a shallow grave had been dug. But nothing could have prepared authorities for what they discovered. Lying inside the hole were the bodies of not one, but two men who had been reported missing since last Thursday.

One has been identified as Eric Swan’s brother, James Swan and Edward Gutierrez better known as Bro Lee. Both men known to be fishermen from the area had been killed. Today, 7News visited the crime scene where a post mortem was conducted on site. Jacqueline Godwin reports.

Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
The badly decomposed bodies of Edward Gutierrez and James Swan were found buried in a shallow grave. The crime scene is located about 19 miles north of San Pedro Town and about one and a half miles from an area known as Rocky Point. The bodies were lying on their sides in a hole three deep. The bodies were found three days after the killing of John Paul Saldivar.

ASP Dennis Arnold, San Pedro Police
“So as a result of that, our investigation started because we had a body. His friend and all the persons along with him we had interviewed and the information we had gathered from them we picked up several other persons that same night and they led us. We began searching in the area and we began looking and we saw clothes and we smelt the stench and we began looking. At about 4:20 yesterday evening we had discovered the body of both male persons.

They were partially decomposed and they are still there. We are waiting for the doctor to arrive so we can do a post mortem on the spot.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
Were they partially nude, full cloth?

ASP Dennis Arnold,
“They were partially nude, in short pants with no shirt.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
Any signs of injuries?

ASP Dennis Arnold,
“Well we have seen some bruises but I don’t know if it is consistent with what had happened.”

The gruesome discoveries of the two bodies came six days after James Swan and Edward Gutierrez were both reported missing. Just who killed the friends remains a mystery. But police investigations have revealed that the homicides of John Paul Saldivar, James Swan, and Edward Gutierrez are all connected and linked to the first discovery of 25 kilos of cocaine made two to three weeks ago. The case lead investigator and the officer in charge of San Pedro is Assistant Superintendent Dennis Arnold.

Jacqueline Godwin,
Sources also tell 7News that one week after the 25 kilos of cocaine was found, a briefcase filled with a substantial amount of money, I think a figure of half a million dollars was given to me, was also found floating in the waters.

ASP Dennis Arnold,
“Not to my knowledge. Not to my knowledge right. People, for about nearly two weeks they were calling me asking about this substantial amount of money that was handed in to San Pedro Police. I told them I have no knowledge of that right, not to my knowledge.”

The only large amount of money that was found by Police in the area was a total of 33,000 U.S. dollars. It was discovered on eight members of the Belize City George Street crew. The men were taken into custody and questioned. They told the cops they had come to the island to purchase a palaris, a four wheel motor bike. The seconds were finally released after 48 hours but the police strongly believe they have information that can help in the ongoing investigation.

At the scene police also discovered these two plastic bags and nylon crocus sack bags with tapes that are consistent with a wet drop. Sources tell 7News that James and Eric Swan used to threaten and terrorize anyone who would venture into this area because San Pedro Police strongly believe this is where the brothers conducted their drug business.

Jacqueline Godwin,
What made this area so ideal for this sort of activity?

ASP Dennis Arnold,
“Because basically it is isolated and most of the time when they have wet drops, the drugs would float this way. So these fellows, they are no strangers to police. They got numerous reports of these fellows harassing people not to walk on the beach and harassing them to stay away and threaten them to try stay away. Because it is isolated, by the time these people who they actually assault with firearms and all the rest of it reach town and we would come up, we wouldn’t find anyone because it is isolated. Here is about nearly 18 or 19 miles away from San Pedro Town. So it is very isolated, the ideal spot.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
I know this is an isolated area but there are some resorts in this area and people who work in it and people who of course have become concerned for their own safety because of what has been unfolding in the area. What advice you have for these people?

ASP Dennis Arnold,
“Well right now San Pedro is going to get very very cool because basically we have majority of the trouble makers involved in these murders, I believe they will be arrested and charged. It is only a handful of these fellows that are causing problems on the island. We know who they are and we are going after them. We have already gotten some of them so it is only a matter of time. We will get the rest. So San Pedro will be cool and calm.”

It is believed James Swan and Edward Gutierrez were killed on Thursday, the same day they went missing. Today family members of Edward Gutierrez gathered by the crime scene to take the body of their loved one back home.

Rolando Espat, Brother in Law
“Everybody is very sad you know. They are in grief right now and everybody is in pain right now because we didn’t expect this to happen to them. Everything thing is very sad. We just came for his body right now and are trying to take him back to San Pedro.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
There is this report that all of these killings may be connected to a quantity of drugs that was found in the area.

Rolando Espat,
“I don’t know how he could be involved in any drug dealing because he went to work on Thursday. He is supposed to have a check on him right now because that check he didn’t cash it to the owner of the resort. So he is supposed to have a check on him right now that we got on Thursday. He is supposed to have his fishing license also.”

San Pedro Police say they know who are all the players involved and are optimistic that several arrests in connection with the triple murders of John Paul Saldivar, James Swan and Edward Gutierrez will be made soon.