The death of a young man in Dangriga has a family screaming murder while the police aren't so sure.
Around 1:30 yesterday afternoon Dangriga police were called to the Branch Mouth of the North Stann Creek River where they saw the decomposing body of 21 year old Thomas Swaso.
Swaso's mother reported him missing on Saturday when she told police that he left home the 18th night around 8 and didn't return.
His family started searching for his body and his young brother and a friend found him floating shortly after midday yesterday. The body was transported to the Southern Regional Hospital where doctors concluded that there were no signs of external injuries on the body with superficial lacerations of the face. That suggests that there was no foul play, but the family doesn't buy it.
They say Thomas didn't drown, they believe he was killed:
Uncle of Thomas Swaso
"Well Thomas Swaso is a very nice youth, a football player representing the country internationally and as far as I am concern he doesn't have any problem with anyone. His only problem is that he is a lover boy. Yes it's true that they found his body in the river but there are sketchy reports going around stating that he was in a conflict with certain individuals and we haven't heard anything yet. We are waiting on the autopsy report; the post mortem, whenever that is done then we will know exactly what the situation."
Andrea Polanco
"So at this point the family still believes that its foul play?"
Uncle of Thomas Swaso
"Guaranteed, we know that it is foul play because his entire face is disfigured, I can't even recognize my nephew, but I know he is my nephew. They say that he jump off the bridge, its common sense if you jump off the bridge they would find him here, but he was found under the bridge."
Andrea Polanco
"So that 18th night that he went missing, was he out partying with friends?"
Uncle of Thomas Swaso
"Of course he was partying with friends and up to 19th morning there was still account of him around town."
Andrea Polanco
"So did he have any fight with anybody that night?"
Uncle of Thomas Swaso
"Well apparently the news reaching my sister and I that he had a misunderstanding with certain individual around the backa-town area of Dangriga, so we are following up on that and whenever we are through things will work out. Whosoever did it, responsible for my nephew death, please don't be afraid, if you had a problem with him - you take his life but I will leave it up to God."
Swaso's family reports that he would've been starting Junior College in the coming year and was also scheduled to travel to Panama in the upcoming weeks as a member of the Belize National Football Team.
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