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Daniel Ortiz reporting
22 year-old Leeroy Haylock was stabbed to death here on northern Ambergris Caye, right across the street from The Hotel. It's an area north of San Mateo, where he was residing only briefly.

Residents tell us that this part of the beach front is a favored spot for locals, and it is often used for late night romantic escapades, but last night, it turned into the scene of the crime where Haylock bled to death.

Someone stabbed him 3 times to the lower left abdomen area, 3 more times to the left side of his chest, once to the right side of his back, twice to his hand, and they even slashed his throat. His friends believe that given his personality, his attackers would have had to come as a group to subdue him and end his life. So, they think that the knife wielder had to have had at least 1 accomplice.

One of his friends spoke with us on the condition of anonymity. She told us that she suspects that he was lured to that location by a friend.

Voice of: Friend
"Last night what occurred, I got a call stating that they just took him out of the park, up the coast and we were like that didn't sound good."

Daniel Ortiz, reporter
"Do you think they lured him, they kidnapped him, they took him against hos will or that he agreed to go with them?"

Voice of: Friend
"I more feel like he agreed to go with the person because he knew the person. He and the person hangs out every day. As far as I hear, I heard that the same guys that he was in an altercation with - those were the guys that send somebody that he knows for him. About a couple days ago he look on us and he told my friend who is his ex - that he wanted to go to church and he wanted to be a changed person. He wants to work and change his life. He looked troubled in his face."

On Haylock's personality and lifestyle, we found those on the island with a wide range of views. His friends refer to him as a "hustler", working as hard as he could to earn a living any way possible.

Some tell us that he may have dabbled in the island's drug underworld, while other say that he was a laborer who made sure to dive headfirst into any paying jobs which came his way.

We were told that he was a calm person, who tried to keep low key. Others friends say that he was "defender", which meant that while he didn't go out looking for trouble, he made sure that his enemies considered very carefully if it was worth it to aggress him openly.

Other residents told us that Haylock was particularly aggrieved when his friend, Alfredo Cowo, was murdered in January. He reportedly even entertained thoughts of retaliation for Cowo's killing.

His friend did acknowledge that he was often questioned by police about crimes on the island.

Voice of: Friend of Deceased
"We are hustlers you know. We have our ways how we make our money due to the fact that the island has change. They don't give the youths jobs and it's so sad that on the island you can't run and go anywhere when they want you, because when they are coming for you, they are coming. Just a couple days ago I heard that the police took him, I heard that he was at the station. He was a person who was always encounter by police, but he knew how to take himself out."

We also found another friend of Haylock's who treated him more like a young brother, since they grew up together in Ontario Village, Cayo. He said that he tried to guide and counsel Haylock to make responsible choices:

Paul Usher - Friend of the Deceased
"We grew up together in Ontario and I had always see the guy as my little brother. Because we both grew up without a father. Most of the youths need guidance and I was older than the guy and I try to encourage him to do the right thing. I didn't know that he died."

But, regardless of his faults, these two friends of his will remember the better aspects of his personality.

Paul Usher - Friend of the Deceased
"Well majority of the youths are like that in the streets. But I would believe that what you're insinuating is true. Enough times I told him to try do something productive with our lives, because 3 days ago I spoke to him and he had just got his job back with "Tuff Enuff" - he said it's hard to work with the boss, but he says he is trying to hold it down to do something with his life. It really hurts me to know that he died."

"He always have an up-tempo spirit - always feel like we are wasting time sitting down doing nothing. Like something is out there for us to achieve. We kinda grew up with nothing too, so the youth always has a fire to try own something in life."

Voice of: Friend of Deceased
"I will remember his as person who is kind-hearted - they would not watch anyone go home hungry. I will remember his as a person who is willing to help and I will remember him as a person who will defend himself and anyone who is around him. It's so sad that his life had gone like that. He is not the only one I knew who went just like that. I have a brother who got stabbed last year September because of chaos on the island."

We are informed that Haylock is originally from Ontario Village in the Cayo District. His friends tell us that he has been living out on the island for quite some time now. His most recent landlord told us that he was having a bit of financial difficulties, trying to find the money to pay him for the rent. As you heard, he recently got his job back with his old boss.