Nearly two and a half years after a fatal shooting in the coastal Belizean community of Placencia left one man dead and an American citizen critically wounded, 34-year-old Ellis Meighan, also known by the nickname “Juice,” has been formally committed to stand trial on charges of murder and attempted murder at the country’s High Court. The decision to forward the case to the higher court for a full trial was handed down last Friday, September 11, 2026, by Belize’s Chief Magistrate following the completion of a preliminary inquiry at the Belize City Magistrate’s Court.
The criminal proceedings against Meighan trace back to a shooting incident in April 2024 that shocked the quiet tourist town. During the attack, 45-year-old Roy Lee Burgess was killed, while Maia James, a United States national visiting the area, suffered a life-threatening gunshot wound to the head. James survived her injuries only after receiving emergency specialized medical treatment outside of Belize, a detail that has underscored the severity of the attack.
Prosecutors building the case against Meighan presented a substantial body of evidence during the preliminary inquiry to justify moving the case to trial. The evidence package submitted to the court includes more than 35 sworn witness statements from individuals connected to the case, alongside multiple key documentary exhibits. These exhibits cover critical pieces of the investigation: official medical records detailing the victims’ injuries, forensic analysis reports, high-resolution photographs taken at the crime scene, ballistic testing results matching evidence from the shooting, and three recorded testimonial statements from James herself, the surviving victim.
Meighan’s path to Belizean justice has not been straightforward. He was only taken into Belizean police custody in September 2025, when United States law enforcement authorities deported him from the U.S. and formally transferred him to Belizean security officials. Following his transfer, he was immediately arraigned on the two serious charges stemming from the 2024 shooting.
During the recent preliminary inquiry, Meighan informed the court that he plans to present alibi witnesses to support his defense, disputing the prosecution’s version of events. However, he was unable to provide the full names and contact details of these witnesses to the court during the hearing. In response, the Chief Magistrate granted Meighan a seven-day window to submit all information about his planned alibi witnesses in formal writing to the court.
The full trial of Meighan is currently scheduled to open during the next session of the Belize High Court, which is set to convene on October 7, 2026. Legal observers note that the case carries significant public interest due to the involvement of a foreign national victim and the length of time it has taken to reach the trial stage following the 2024 shooting.
This report is adapted from a transcribed evening television news broadcast from Belize, with all original content verified for factual accuracy.