The tight-knit Port Loyola community in Belize remains in a state of stunned grief following the violent deaths of two local teenagers, as law enforcement ramps up an ongoing investigation to identify and hold accountable those responsible for the killings.
Nineteen-year-old Jaheil Westby and 17-year-old Alwin Marin were killed in an incident that has left neighbors and family members searching for closure and answers more than a week after their bodies were discovered. Local law enforcement has confirmed that investigators are working methodically through available evidence, starting with a wide review of surveillance camera footage from businesses and public spaces near the area where the incident unfolded, while also collecting witness statements from community members to build a clear timeline of events.
In an official statement to local media, Assistant Superintendent of Police Stacy Smith, a staff officer with the department, outlined the current status of the investigation. “From the initial discovery of Mr. Westby’s body, officers have been working nonstop on this case,” Smith explained. “We’ve already reviewed a large batch of surveillance footage that was readily available, but that material has not yielded any substantial leads that can move the case forward right now.”
Smith added that investigative supervisors have now ordered the retrieval of additional surveillance recordings from other nearby locations, which will be reviewed in the coming days to see if they contain critical evidence. To date, investigators have already recorded formal statements from dozens of community members, and early interviews have pointed to a potential motive: a longstanding dispute between the two deceased teens and other young people who live in the Port Loyola area.
“Right now, the investigation remains very active,” Smith emphasized. “As soon as we make meaningful progress or have confirmed results to share, we will update the media and the public promptly.”
The double killing has left the usually quiet neighborhood shaken, with residents calling for quick action from police to bring clarity to the case and end the cycle of youth conflict that has been linked to the incident. Law enforcement has reiterated its commitment to solving the crime, and local media will continue to follow new developments as they become available.