A Stann Creek family is confronting profound grief and mounting frustration as they seek resolution in the brutal machete killing of 41-year-old Linden Kelly, whose death has exposed deepening concerns about community safety and judicial delays in Dangriga Town.
Seven days following Kelly’s tragic passing from injuries sustained during a December 19th altercation in the Rivas Estate area, his relatives have issued an urgent appeal to law enforcement authorities. Despite the initial detention of two individuals connected to the violent incident, no formal charges have been filed, leaving the family in a state of anguish and uncertainty.
Austin Williams, brother of the deceased, articulated the family’s distress in an emotional telephone interview. “We are looking at people who just killed a man and they’re walking around like killing in Dangriga is legal,” Williams stated, highlighting the perceived impunity that has compounded their trauma. The situation has been particularly devastating for Kelly’s elderly mother, who simultaneously grieves her son’s death while experiencing genuine fear for her personal safety.
While acknowledging his brother’s previous encounters with the justice system, Williams emphasized that past transgressions should not negate the pursuit of justice. “Everyone to their family, they’re good. We don’t know what he was doing on the streets, but yes, he did serve his time,” he remarked, drawing a distinction between Kelly’s completed past sentences and the current unresolved homicide.
The investigation’s progress has stalled according to family accounts, with police reportedly attributing delays to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. This bureaucratic impasse has left the Kelly family caught between mourning their loss and demanding accountability, with Linden Kelly’s funeral scheduled for the approaching Sunday amid these unresolved circumstances.