A quiet, rural community in Belize’s Orange Walk District is reeling from a brutal act of violence after a 70-year-old local farmer was discovered murdered near his property just off Santa Martha Road on Monday afternoon.
The grim discovery unfolded after relatives grew concerned when Francisco Perfecto Garcia, the elderly farmer, could not be reached anywhere all morning. When he failed to answer calls or check in as he normally would, his son grew alarmed and traveled to Garcia’s isolated farm shortly after 2:30 p.m. to conduct a welfare check. What he found first was a scene of chaos: the back door of Garcia’s small cement home stood ajar, the entire residence had been ransacked, and his father was nowhere to be found inside.
Family members immediately launched a search of the surrounding area. Less than half an hour later, they made the chilling find: Garcia’s body dumped in dense thick brush a short distance from his home. According to initial responding police reports, Garcia had been hacked to death, with multiple chop wounds visible to his face. When first responders arrived on scene, the victim was found lying on his side, clad only in underwear.
Investigators have since outlined their early working theory that the killing was tied to an aggravated burglary that turned deadly. Forensic examination of the property confirmed signs of forced entry: broken glass louvers at the entrance confirm the intruders did not enter through an unlocked opening. Multiple personal items were confirmed stolen from the home, including Garcia’s cellphone, a cooking stove, multiple gas tanks, and a wheelbarrow. In a key break for the case, responding officers also recovered a blood-stained machete from Garcia’s yard that they believe is the murder weapon.
As of the latest update from the Orange Walk Division of the Belize Police Department, no suspects have been taken into custody, and no arrests have been announced. Investigations are ongoing, with authorities working to trace the stolen property and identify any persons of interest connected to the break-in and killing.