7 News Belize

First “Tanga”, Then “Dimes”
posted (January 24, 2022)
On Friday morning, we told you about the murder of Winston "Tanga" James. Less than 12 hours later, two more men were gunned down. The first was 36-year-old Leslie "Dimes" Gillett, the proprietor of Matilda's Mini Mart in Burrell Boom. If the name of that store sound familiar, that's because back in November, there was a double murder at that same establishment. The cashier, Kendra Miguel, and the handyman, Dennis Brown, were both fatally shot. Since then, Gillett took a few more extra precautions, knowing that someday the gunman might come back for him. But - there was nothing he could do to stop the bullet caught him right in that very store on Friday evening. Courtney Menzies visited the scene and spoke to the grieving family. Here is that story.

Back in November, two innocents lost their lives while at work inside Matilda's Mini Mart. The reports were that they weren't the intended target, but rather their boss, 36-year-old Leslie "Dimes" Gillett.

And on Friday night, they finally found their target. Even though the store's grill door was permanently closed, the gunman, who pretended to be a customer, shot him through the bars.

But this was not the first, or even the second, attempt on his life. According to his brother, Gilbert Gillett, Dimes was living in fear.

Gilbert Gillett, Brother of Deceased
"Like he always tell me, he is looking over his shoulder and thing but the thing is that he is a hardworking person and I personally- and he believe in hard work so he said that yes, from what happened, he could see that they are after him. However, he know he did nothing to no one because from what I know, I personally, when we talk and thing like that, we never have no negative talk or think about hurting people or doing those simpleness. I mean, if anybody can testify to it that we are hardworking people, both me and my brother. He does his shop, he decide he'd do his little meat shop. I mean back in the days we used to do music together."

"He would tell me that he feel so sorry, the way how he is living his life, the way how people is after him for absolutely nothing. And he did have an idea, he did mention to me certain things and so on and I think that the entire village know where all this come from."

And while there is talk in the tiny village about past crimes the victim may have committed, his brother explained that Gillett was innocent of the accusations. He said the victim was only trying to make an honest living.

Gilbert Gillett, Brother of Deceased
"He was no angel back in the days but he wasn't someone doing any murder or so but he came and he started his shop and because he is running his business and thing and they just see him fit to blame for things that occur."

"Even the law, the force, I mean from that thing occurred, sometimes you sit here for the entire day not even a police pass and from my understanding, sometimes four or five police is stationed at the village, but for what purpose I am not sure because they do not even pass here. Like what he was telling him, they mark him, they talk bad about him. I mean people judge people, they really don't know what is the true thing about the whole situation."

And he had advised his baby brother to get out of the village and away from the men who were targeting him. But despite the allegations and the violence he'd witnessed, Gillett decided to stay - and stay ready - he was found with a loaded 9 millimeter pistol on his person.

Gilbert Gillett, Brother of Deceased
"To me, my brother had a lion's heart because I advised him, from the time I saw what was bad people's intention, I told him you way larger than that, bro. You do not have to be risking yourself in a shop, anywhere you go, anything you do you can be successful at because you're a hardworking person. So that was my advice to him and I asked him to move on but he just had faith in what he was doing and he said he is not doing anything wrong so he will continue do what he is doing."

And he worked in his store until the bullet caught him. Now, the police are trying to figure out who pulled the trigger.

ASP Fitzroy Yearwood, Communications Officer
"We have several persons being questioned in connection with this and hopefully the information that the investigators have gathered so far will become useful that could lead to some form of detention and hopefully an arrest."

Gillett didn't have any kids, but leaves behind a common-law wife.





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