In a brief seven-minute hearing at the High Court, 91-year-old Senior Counsel Simeon Sampson faced another judicial setback as his bail application for murder suspect Nelson De Jesus Segovia was denied for the third time. The defendant stands accused of fatally shooting his neighbor, Jose Miguel Cedillos, in the Guinea Grass community in April 2022.
Presiding Justice Candace Nanton delivered the ruling, emphasizing that the defense had failed to present sufficient justification for bail consideration, particularly given the gravity of the capital offense. While the Director of Public Prosecutions’ office did not formally oppose bail, prosecutors expressed substantial concerns regarding potential relocation issues, noting the accused previously resided directly opposite the victim’s family members.
The court additionally questioned investigative procedures, probing why authorities required nearly two years to apprehend Segovia following the alleged homicide. Police eventually captured the suspect in Belmopan in November 2023.
With the defendant having already spent over two years in pretrial detention, Attorney Sampson indicated he would counsel his client to await approximately two additional years before pursuing further bail applications. No trial date has been established for the case, which originated from a fatal altercation that resulted in Cedillos sustaining multiple gunshot wounds in his residential compound.