After more than three years of delays, legal disputes, and widespread public attention, a Belizean High Court has delivered a guilty verdict on all counts against former police corporal Elmer Nah for the 2022 New Year’s Eve triple murder of three members of the Ramnarace family in Belmopan. Nah, once a trusted law enforcement officer, was also convicted of one count of attempted murder for the wounding of a fourth victim in the attack that shocked the small Central American nation.
The tragic incident unfolded on December 31, 2022, when the Ramnarace family gathered at their Belmopan residence to ring in the new year. An armed gunman entered the home and opened fire, killing Jon Ramnarace and David Ramnarace at the scene. Vivian Ramnarace, who was also shot, initially survived the attack but succumbed to her injuries while undergoing medical treatment. The fourth victim, Yenie Alberto, survived the shooting and went on to serve as a key witness for the prosecution.
What proved to be the most compelling evidence for Justice Nigel Pilgrim, who presided over the high-profile trial, was the statement Vivian Ramnarace gave to law enforcement just 41 hours after the attack, before her death. In his two-and-a-half-hour deliberation delivered on May 29, 2026, Justice Pilgrim noted that Vivian’s account was honest, credible, and fully corroborated by the surveillance footage and forensic evidence collected by investigators. Though she did not name her attacker directly, her description and identification matched Nah’s profile perfectly.
For the victims’ family members, the guilty verdict brings a long-awaited measure of justice, but it cannot undo the irreversible harm caused by the attack. Speaking to reporters inside the packed courtroom immediately after the verdict was read, Vashti Belisle, Vivian Ramnarace’s sister, shared the family’s complex emotions.
“We’re overwhelmed, grateful, thankful. Vivian really played the most significant role in convicting the man who killed her, her husband and her brother-in-law,” Belisle told reporters. “As much as we are thankful today, we are still overwhelmed because despite this victory, we are still without Vivian. A child has to grow up the rest of their life without their ma and pa. But I’m just glad that justice was served, especially for her today, and I’m proud of my sister. She was fearless.”
Nah, who has maintained his innocence throughout the years-long legal process, did not react publicly to the verdict beyond a cold, steady stare at the Ramnarace family as he was led out of the courtroom. When asked about the interaction, Belisle noted that Nah has repeatedly stared her down during court proceedings, a gesture she interprets as directed at her sister, whom she closely resembles.
The path to this verdict was far from smooth. The case faced countless procedural delays and public scrutiny from the start, in large part because of Nah’s background as a serving police officer at the time of the killings—an individual who was once trusted to protect the public he is now convicted of harming. Nah’s defense team also went through multiple shakeups: Senior Counsel Arthur Saldivar initially led the defense, but a string of attorneys joined and departed the case amid ongoing legal disputes, with Lynden Jones ultimately taking over as lead defense counsel for the final phase of the trial.
The entire nation of Belize has followed the closely-watched case for years, drawn by the brutality of the crime and the shock of a sitting law enforcement officer being accused of the mass killing. When the guilty verdict was announced, audible sighs of relief went through the packed courtroom gallery, which was filled with victim relatives, local law enforcement, and legal observers. Family members embraced one another, with many shedding tears after the three and a half year wait for closure.
All attention now shifts to the next phase of the legal process: Nah’s sentencing is scheduled for June 19, 2026, and legal analysts note that an appeal from the defense is widely expected following the conviction.