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Shelone Martinez, Friend & Colleague
"Wendy was always a happy person."

That's the first description that comes to Shelone Martinez's mind when talking about her best friend Wendi.

Courtney Weatherburne:
"And she would always be here with you talking?"

Shelone Martinez, Friend
"We shared so much"

But now, talking about Wendi only evokes the crushing reality of her ruthless murder.

American national Wendy Dardano was stabbed to death. Her body was stuffed inside the blue garbage drum that was removed from this spot,

Right in front of her Hopkins home. Based on the report, on Saturday afternoon, one of Dardano's friends reported to police that Dardano was not answering her phone and the last time she heard from Dardano was on Friday night around 6:00. Police then went to Dardano's residence at the lower flat of this two-story house to search for her.

Voice of: Aniessa Pop, Neighbor
"When I came here I saw the police because I came to look for my sister and I saw the police in front of the drum there, and then they were taking out the garbage from the top and they said here is Ms. Wendy and they took her out and her body was stiff and then they put her in the police truck."

Courtney Weatherburne:
"She wasn't in bag or anything like that, it was just her body they pulled out?"

Voice of: Aniessa Pop, Neighbor
"Yes and she was stiff and then they put her in the thing and the drum in the police truck and they covered her with a gray canvass and like 5 or 10 minutes they went for the guy and they brought him and they showed him and told him where they found her."

That guy Pop is referring to is Dardano's 28 year old boyfriend who is originally from Corozal. They were living in Corozal and both moved into this Hopkins house about 3 months ago. According to the neighbors, the couple kept to themselves. Wendi would go from work to home while her boyfriend would sometimes be at home drinking.

The neighbors also said they did not hear any commotion in the house on Friday night nor early Saturday morning, just music.

Voice of: Tyra Pop, Neighbor
"I got up again to use the bathroom around 1:00 is then I hear loud music start from the neighbors room and I thought it was her that was playing them music because it is her type of music Rock and Roll music and then I went back to sleep because it is normal for us because we always hear them play music like 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning but it doesn't bother us because when we play our music they don't tell us anything either."

"I didn't hear nothing, no screaming, no fighting, no quarreling, nothing like that."

Although the neighbors claim they didn't hear any of that, that was certainly going on. According to Dardano's best friend, the 50 year old confided in her about her abusive boyfriend. She said Dardano even came to work with a bruised face about 3 weeks ago.

Shelone Martinez, Friend & Colleague
"She came to work that morning, her face was swollen and red. I asked her Wendi, why don't you go to the police, she said she does not want anybody involved in my life."

Courtney Weatherburne:
"But she did not want to speak out, she did not want to go to the police."

Shelone Martinez, Friend & Colleague
"No, I told her Wendi you can't tolerate this because you already the provide shelter and food for this boy."

"She said it was the first time and the he was sorry but I told her Wendi if he did it when you go home Wendi he is going to close that door and kill you."

That's exactly what Dardano's boyfriend is suspected of doing. If that is the case, it is a death foretold.

And now her fellow nurse colleagues and friends at the Hopkins clinic are left to grieve and miss her.

Dr. Kenton Flowers, Hopkins Clinic
"Nurse Wendi has been working in the district as a nurse going a little bit over a year now she was first working in the Polyclinic in Dangriga now after which she transferred about 5 month plus to be working here in Hopkins, from my part she has been a great asset to the team and professionally she had been providing many services. I have received great reviews from patients that she has attended to in regards to how… in terms of her ethics on the job has been, It is really disheartening news the situation that has occurred."

"It is a great loss to the community, great loss to the country I mean I could have never expected something like this to happen to someone like nurse Wendi."

Dardano moved to Belize over a year ago. Her friend, Shelone Martinez says she leaves 4 sons behind in the US.