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Mason Trial Day 2: They Day They Found Pastor Lew’s Head In A Bucket
posted (March 13, 2019)
Last night, we told you about the beginning of the murder trial against William Danny Mason, and his co-defendants: Ashton Vanegas, Keron Fernandez, Terrence Fernandez, and Ernest Castillo. They are all accused of the July 2016 beheading murder of Pastor Llewellyn Lucas.

Yesterday's big reveal in court came from the prosecution's witness, David Dodd, who testified via Skype from Texas, that he and another man accompanied Pastor Lucas to William Mason's Belmopan residence to collect money. He said they were then kidnapped and duck-taped, and taken to an area up the road. They were eventually released unharmed under the condition that they would pretend that their abduction never happened.

Well, today's biggest testimony happened close to 5 p.m. this evening, at the very end of the long day of the trial's session. DPP Cheryl Lynn Vidal called Corporal Ryan Martinez to the witness stand. He testified that on July 15th, 2016, a superior officer instructed him and members of the Belmopan Quick Response Team to go to Sancho's Bar in the Industrial Site area of Belmopan.

Another officer testified before him that he had Mason and the 4 defendants under surveillance at the bar while they were socializing and having a few drinks. It was decided that the officers would search the men for drugs and illegal firearms. Corporal Martinez told the court that nothing illegal was found on the men, and they decided to search Mason's vehicle, his black Ford F-150, which was parked right outside the bar.

Martinez said that they escorted Mason to the truck, but he said he couldn't open it. They took him to get a spare key, and Martinez told the court that he and his fellow QRT officers set up a perimeter around the vehicle, and they ensured that nobody approached it, or touched the vehicle in anyway.

Martinez went on to explain that about 35 minutes later, Mason and the officer returned with a bunch of keys, but none of them opened the door. He said that the officer escorted Mason to the back of the vehicle to open the flatbed cover of the pickup truck. Corporal Martinez says that he was within eyesight distance when that flatbed cover was removed. According to Martinez, the officer suddenly exclaimed, "Bwai, wah head deh back ya!" Shortly after that, Scenes Of Crime were called in, and the evidence was processed.

Viewers are aware that this head was later identified as that of Pastor Lucas.

The trial has been adjourned until tomorrow, when attorney Herbert Panton will be allowed to cross examine Corporal Ryan Martinez and challenge him on the veracity of his evidence in court.

We note that 2 other witnesses testified against the 5 accused today.

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