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A Savage, Staged, Coordinated Attack On Prison Wardens
posted (October 18, 2010)
On Friday night at 7:30, a group of prison officers were catching a ride home when they came under a spray of gunfire. It was a coordinated, staged attack on a group of prison wardens who were heading home from the Hattieville prison. It happened on the Hattieville Boom Road and our team was on the scene - Monica Bodden has more:….

Monica Bodden Reporting
The body of Prison Officer - 32 year old Miriam Gillett was pulled out from behind these bushes on Friday night and was taken away in the pan of this police pickup truck to City's morgue.

Her body was found in this Ford Escort car - several yards off the road in the bushes.As you can see the car was riddled with bullet holes.

Two other prison officers were also shot -35 year old Ernest Savery was shot in his neck while Sylvino Cal was also injured.

It was a messy scene - as CIB investigators lined the area and spectators looked on in disbelief. The 3 Prison Officers had just left work - at the Belize Central Prison and was travelling on the Boom Hattieville Road - heading for Belize City.

But before they managed to reach the Hattieville junction -they were ambushed. As the driver - 35 year old Ernest Savery slowed down by the speed bump near the Cemetery - they were attacked by a barrage of bullets.

Savery lost control of the vehicle and ran off the road and then hit a lamp post in the bushes. Gillett was seated in the front passenger side - she was hit to the head with one of the bullets and died instantly. Today her family - still traumatized by how the incident played out - said their loved one was just hitching a ride to come home. She was innocent and her life was taken for no reason. Her common law husband, Andrew Wiliams explained

Andrew Williams - Common-law - husband
"I was at home here waiting for my wife. She sent me text about 7:31 and told me to wait up because she is coming. So I was waiting until I got tired of waiting, in about 15 - 20 minutes time I call back and a police officer was on the phone. I just got frighten and start to worry; the police didn't tell me anything about what happen."

Williams said he had heard the news on Friday night about 3 prison officers being shot - but never would have imagined the victim to be his wife.

Andrew Williams - Common-law - husband
"I heard that some prison warden got hurt but I didn't know that it was my wife. It was when i really got the news that it was my wife got it; it broke me straight down."

32 year old Miriam Gillett was shot to her head.

Andrew Williams - Common-law - husband
"Big hole in her head; you can see brains when you look in her head. It's shocking for me to see my wife like that; the woman that I love."

According to Williams - his wife was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Andrew Williams - Common-law - husband
"It wasn't her that they wanted to hurt. it wasn't her that they wanted to touch any at all but she was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. That is how I got the understanding."

Monica Bodden
"From what you understand if could have been someone else in the car?"

Andrew Williams - Common-law - husband
"Yes it could have been someone else."

Miriam Gillett leaves behind 2 daughters - ages 6 and 10.

Reports are that Savery - a former inmate who now works at the prison was the target of the attack..

The Kolbe Foundation issued a statement this evening saying that Officer Miriam Gillett was a promising young female officer who was known for her strength and commitment to her job and being a good friend to her fellow Officers.

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