In a stunning development out of Belize District, two men charged in the high-profile 2022 shooting death of Winston Joseph James, widely known by his street name “Tanga,” have been released from custody after prosecutors discontinued their case. The sudden termination of proceedings comes after the prosecution’s critical star witness vanished without a trace just days before the start of the long-awaited trial.
The accused—23-year-old Azzane Domingo and 36-year-old Eustace Lewis, both linked to the George Street area—were formally served with a nolle prosequi, a legal order halting prosecution, shortly before 10 a.m. on September 29, 2026. Domingo was identified early in the investigation as the suspected gunman, while Lewis was only charged in 2024 on abetment to murder charges connected to the killing. The case also included an attempted murder charge for the attack on James’ girlfriend, who was in the vehicle with him during the shooting.
Authorities launched a urgent five-day search for the key witness, Shemaud “Sabe” Nunez, after he failed to appear for court. The search was triggered last Thursday, when Crown prosecutors first requested a delay from Justice Candace Nanton to locate Nunez. Despite exhaustive efforts by law enforcement, no trace of the witness has been found, leaving the prosecution without its core evidence to secure a conviction.
It is important to note that a nolle prosequi is not equivalent to a formal acquittal. Under Belizean legal rules, prosecutors retain the right to reactivate the criminal charges against both men at any point in the future if new evidence, including the reappearance of Nunez, becomes available.
The tragic killing that sparked the case took place on January 21, 2022. James was driving a Nissan Pathfinder with his girlfriend when multiple gunshots struck his vehicle, killing him at the scene. The disabled car ultimately crashed into a building located near a local canal. While surveillance video of the area exists, it has proven insufficient to secure a conviction on its own. The footage only captures James leaving his attorney’s office on Church Street, crossing a nearby bridge, and entering his vehicle moments before the shooting began. The significant distance between the camera’s position and the actual shooting site means even enhanced video analysis cannot definitively confirm the shooter’s identity.