On a Sunday morning in Belize City, a grim discovery unfolded at a Vernon Street apartment building that has left the local community reeling. Law enforcement officials confirmed during a midafternoon press briefing that 22-year-old Kimane Garbutt, who was pregnant, was found dead in an advanced state of decomposition at the property.
The sequence of events that led to the discovery began the previous day, when Garbutt was last spotted alive by a close friend at approximately 7:00 a.m. At that time, Garbutt told her friend she was feeling unwell, prompting growing concern when she did not reach out again in the following hours. After multiple attempts to contact Garbutt via phone went unanswered, the friend made the decision to travel to her Vernon Street residence to check on her wellbeing shortly after 9:30 a.m. Sunday.
Upon entering the apartment, the friend made the tragic discovery of Garbutt’s body, and immediately contacted local police to report the incident. Police Commissioner (or lead investigator) Smith stated that at this early stage of the investigation, law enforcement does not suspect foul play was involved in Garbutt’s death. The body has been transported to a forensic facility, where it is currently awaiting a full post-mortem examination to confirm the exact cause and timeline of death, with official results expected to be released in the coming days once forensic analysis is complete. Local community members have expressed shock and sorrow over the death of the young pregnant woman, as the investigation continues to move forward.