And while that broad daylight armed robbery was the most frightening
crime of the holiday weekend, it was not the most violent. As we told you there
were two murders in the city; the first was on Thursday night behind the complex
building in the Lake Impendence area. It happened at around 11 and our camera
was there shortly after.
Francine Pitts, Sister of Murder Victim
“They took away my brother’s life. They didn’t give him
a chance to turn around and be the person he wanted to be, that troubles me.”
Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
And what is it he wanted to be?
Francine Pitts,
“He wanted to turn a new leaf because I have always talked to my brother
about changing his life to give his life to God and let his past be his past
because everyone can be redeemed. I was opened to redemption for my brother.”
When 7News arrived on Gyles Street in the St. Martin
De Porres area Belize City police had already placed the body of twenty seven
year old Ryan Walker in the back of their pickup truck. The green Toyota Camry,
the car that Ryan Walker was driving at the time was still parked across the street. A look inside the vehicle revealed that Ryan Walker was sitting in the
driver’s seat when he was reportedly shot by someone who was in the back
seat. The bullet struck Ryan Walker in his left temple and then penetrated the
driver’s side window.
Francine Pitts,
“What I want what I know will come to surface is the truth about my
brother’s death because my brother’s death will not just go like
that because everyday I put it in the Lord’s hands, everyday I pray and
I know, they may seem like they get away from man but they won’t get away
from that man above.”
Irvin Pitts, Brother of Murder Victim
“They found him behind the driver’s wheel with a lot of gunshots
on him.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
How many?
Irvin Pitts,
“Approximately I heard about four of them.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Where was he shot?
Irvin Pitts,
“Well apparently in his head and a couple in the body section.”
Francine Pitts,
“My brother got the first shot, the first shot went off and my brother
ducked and it missed and it went through the window. Then he got the other shots
and he knew they were out to get him.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
So he was shot from inside the vehicle?
Francine Pitts,
“He was shot from inside the vehicle and more than one person was in the back seat because when we went to station we saw the back door for the
vehicle opened up. So we knew there was a group of friends with him.”
According to Francine and Irvin Pitts on Thursday night their brother left
in the car in the company of one of his friends to drop that person home the
same young man they believe know more than what he has been telling them.
Jacqueline Godwin,
Has this guy been in touch with the family to say what happened?
Irvin Pitts,
“Friday morning he came back and said he got a hint and an idea what
really took place but it looks like apparently he is afraid to talk. So we don’t
really push it to him. I saw him and I touched him and told him not to worry,
we are grieving.”
Francine Pitts,
“He left the friend with one individual and that is when they picked
up the other set of friends and that is when they chanced my brother out of
his life. His friend came to me and he and I had a one on one encounter. I told
them when my brother got shot, I sat with a friend and I told them, just the
way just how I am saying it: this certain friend will come first, that certain
friend will come after, and God let it play out the same way how I have said
it. And when he came towards me, I felt and I saw something within him and I
came and I told him, you know more than what you are saying about that night
with my brother.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
This is the same friend that left with him?
Francine Pitts,
“The same friend that left with him and I told him, what triggered
him is when I said the police have your shirt, I put the shirt on him and that
is when everything transpired within him.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
What do you mean the police have his shirt?
Francine Pitts,
“His shirt that he had throwed over his shoulder that night when he
was with my brother because it was his shirt, not my brother’s shirt.
My brother had on his shirt, his shirt he apparently had it off or two shirts,
I don’t know but an extra shirt was found in the vehicle and the encounter
was beside my brother.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
So you believe this friend knows more than what he is saying?
Francine Pitts,
“He knows more than what he is trying to tell us. He was in the vehicle
with my brother.”
27 year old Ryan Walker had a troubled past that landed him in jail. In fact
it was only two months ago that he was released from prison after serving nine
years for attempted murder and drug possession. So was it something in his past
that led to this murder? At this time no one is sure.”
Francine Pitts,
“No, not his past. I think it is his future because he went and got
encountered with some new friends and they decided and they have determined
what they wanted him for, to end his life like this because it was his own friends
that rise up against him.”
Irvin Pitts,
“Maybe it would have been that but to me it is a slight hitch because
nine years and the guy, I don’t really know the guy fully that he was
involved with in that shooting in self-defense so many years ago, so we are
just leaving it up to the police. I never heard him receiving any threats but
to what I know he skipped a lot of friends. I didn’t really know the name
of the person or what friends he really was with that night of his tragic death
but the rest of family members are saying a couple of names and so on. So right
now about now, we are about to give a report to police from the information
we have gathered about the names of the friends he went to drop off.”
According to Commissioner of Police, Crispin Jeffries, they do have one suspect
they are looking at and a possible motive.
Crispin Jeffries, Commissioner of Police
“The only information we have at this time is that that person may
have been a key witness in an important case coming up but we can’t confirm
all of that yet. That information is still not with us yet but we’re working
on that.”
Irvin Pitts,
“We don’t want the case to just go and something that is pushed
underneath. We want them to look into it and give us a full report and keep
it alive and get information about the friends he kept and the friends he dropped
home. The family is willing to cooperate and see who is the person he was hanging
with the night because a couple of brothers and sisters saw and know the persons
them that came around to him and the person he associated with
Jacqueline Godwin Reporting for 7News. |