Five years after the controversial 2021 fatal shooting of Belize Defense Force (BDF) soldier Jessie Escobar in Santa Familia, two convicted law enforcement officials implicated in a cover-up of the incident have launched a bid to reduce their prison sentences.
BDF Private Ramon Alberto Alcoser and Police Corporal Juan Carlos Morales appeared before High Court Justice Derick Sylvester on April 15, 2026, where the judge scheduled their full appeal hearing for April 27. Up until the hearing convenes, both men will remain in custody at Belize Central Prison.
The pair were originally convicted and sentenced last December by a magistrate court, after findings that they deliberately falsified information and omitted critical details from their official statements regarding Escobar’s killing. Their accounts of the shooting were ultimately disproven by independent surveillance footage that directly contradicted their testimony. Under the original sentencing order, Alcoser is currently serving a 14-month prison term, while Morales is serving a 23-month sentence.
During the April 15 procedural hearing, Morales notified the court that he will be represented by private defense attorney Alifah Elrington for the appeal, while the court has appointed attorney Oscar Selgado to serve as Alcoser’s legal counsel. Notably, Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryl-Lynn Vidal will personally lead the prosecution’s argument in the appeal, a move that underscores the high priority and significance the prosecution assigns to this high-profile case.
The appeal puts the original conviction and sentencing in the hands of the High Court, which will now rule on whether the original prison terms will be upheld, or if the two convicted law enforcement officers will receive a reduction of their sentences. The case has remained a focal point of public attention across Belize since Escobar’s killing in 2021, with observers across the country closely tracking every development in the legal process.