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It's a home invasion turned murder -in a retirement community where residents would never expect such a thing. Jules Vasquez reports:...

Jules Vasquez reporting
The OASIS, it's an expatriate housing community, at mile one on the Consejo road - basically one mile out of Corozal town. It's actually a retirement community, home to mostly Canadians and Americans - who come here generally for the winter months.

Americans Gary and Elizabeth Rosseau lived here, #7 Oasis Park Drive - the quaint setting belies the violence that played out here last night.

Around 7:45 a robber may have come through these bushes at the back and slipped in through the bathroom window.

81 year old Gary Hawke and his 74 year old wife Elizabeth Rosseau - who have the regular infirmities of old age were brutally assaulted by the robber:

ACP Joseph Myvette, HNCIB
"According to Mr. Hake, sometime between 7:45 and 8pm, whilst they were in their living room, his wife entered the room where she was attacked by a male person. As a result of hearing the commotion, he then proceeded to the bedroom where he met a male person who inflicted stab wounds to him. He also realized that his wife was stabbed."

She got the worst of it, stabbed to the ribs, neck and chest, while Hawke was stabbed to the ribs - what police say was a superficial wound. Still, she managed to call a neighbour for help.

Two neighbours rushed them to the Corozal Hospital - but Elizabeth Rosseau's injury was so serious, she had to be taken to the Northern Region. She died on the way there, bleeding out from internal injuries.

A life lost for a petty theft:

ACP Joseph Myvette
"A purse containing personal effects was stolen."

Personal effects and a few hundred dollars. Police say there are elements of a well-orchestrated home invasion - and reports tell us that the couple went to the bak earlier that day:

ACP Joseph Myvette
"What we have gathered so far is that the power from the home was cut from outside before the intruder had entered the building. from an investigative standpoint it had to be someone who had either had some knowledge of the area to know where the switch was, so we are looking at several angles in respect to that and as we speak the officers are still out there canvassing the area."

Canvassing the area and taking fingerprints from the various construction workers - Belizeans who come from the surrounding villages.

It seems a lot like profiling, and it is very unusual to take such a wide sweep of possible suspects, but it is indicative of the priority police are putting on solving this crime.

Today we saw them very active in the area, combing the perimeter of the house - whose back fence is right up against the road.

Residents we spoke to were shaken by the crime. It's a quiet community of persons who came to live here because of the peaceful uncomplicated life, and now this happened:

Patrick Henderson, Oasis Resident
"I am right surprised because things shouldn't happen in places like this."

Reporter
"Is this something that has short of shaken your sense of security in this Oasis Housing community?"

Patrick Henderson, Oasis Resident
"Well I'm realistic and the world is like that now, because in Canada you got murders too, so yeah but I feel different, because you don't feel as safe as you were before."

81 year old Gary Hawke has been treated and released for his superficial wounds.

We note that this home invasion - slash - murder happened and one mile from Serenity Sands - where American Drew Devoursney and Canadian Francesca Matus were killed in May of 2017. No one has been charged for that couple's murder.

And, then in June of 2017, another couple, Baltazar Lopez and Zeidy Orozco were found murdered - also a mile away on the same Consejo Road. Also, in their case, no one has been arrested.

So, in less than two years, 5 persons - 3 of them expatriates - have now been found murdered within a one mile radius of each other.