Not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter. That's what a jury decided today in the case of Police Constable Sheldon Arzu. The jury went into deliberations just before one this afternoon, and came back an hour and half later asking the court for instruction on the lesser charge of manslaughter. Less than an hour later, jurors returned with the verdict of guilty on the charge of manslaughter. Constable Arzu killed Ruben 'Pony' Alarcon in the Caye Caulker Police Station in June of 2003. Today, Lunette Alarcon, Ruben's sister told us her family is not satisfied.

Lunette Alarcon, Sister of Deceased
"The family doesn't feel good about that at all because anybody could see that that was murder. That was willful murder what happened with my little brother because he didn't go into that place for violence or anything, he went to bail somebody and that is when he met his death."

Jules Vasquez,
One of the key people, Flash, who was in there with him, who was right beside him when this happened, Flash was not here, was unable to testify. Do you think that seriously hurt the case?

Lunette Alarcon,
"Yes yes, a lot. He is not here because he was in Austria and he came back. As he came back, they caught him on the island, they brought him down to the station, locked him up from Friday to Saturday, and after that they charged him and said he had the machete. From after that, even Ms. Antonette Moore who was his lawyer could not find out what happened. The case just died like that and he said he doesn't even want to come back to Belize because according to what we heard, if he comes back something will happen to him, just because of this case."

Jules Vasquez,
Lunette do you think your family has been denied justice?

Lunette Alarcon,
"Yes. Yes I do a lot because as I see it, anybody could have seen what happened. Anybody could have just think about what happened because we ourselves were right on the island, you yourself were along with us on the island, and we could see and hear what everybody said at the station and everywhere so I know we didn't get the justice which we wanted. But the thing is that in the Bible it says justice is mine said the Lord and by faith, hope, and everything we will go on and this judgment which happened here today is right here but we still have the bigger judgment above so that is what I like to depend on. We have faith, I have faith, and with faith that can move mountains. So that is the thing that I live with."

Jules Vasquez,
Sentencing is set for December 1st, he still faces manslaughter for a very serious offense and he could get life in prison. What do you hope the sentencing will deliver on December 1sT?

Lunette Alarcon,
"I hope life. That's what I hope, life, that's all I want and I'll be satisfied. As we say, we have the good Lord on our side so I will be satisfied once its life."

The family also thanked Prosecutor Kamar Henry. In an off camera statement to the press, Henry said that, "this is victory for the office and for the Belizean justice system as a whole. However it is regrettable when those who are sworn to uphold the law most grossly abuse it. The jury recognized that and therefore rendered the only proper verdict according to the evidence and the law."

And proving that the police continue to protect its own, even after he has been found guilty of killing a man, the police facilitated a special exit for Constable Arzu. In every other case, prisoners are escorted down the court's main stairs to Regent Street to the waiting police transport. But because he is a policeman, Arzu was taken around the side of the court on Treasury Lane, away from the waiting cameras and then hustled into the waiting police vehicle. Arzu becomes the second police officer convicted of manslaughter in the past 4 months. Sentencing is set for December the first and he could face a maximum sentence of life in prison.