Five years after the fatal shooting of Belize City bicycle technician Wilbert Banks, the criminal trial of the man accused of masterminding his killing has entered its final stage, with the judge delaying the verdict to the end of the month.
Krismar Espinosa, 36, stands charged with orchestrating the 2021 murder that left Banks dead from multiple gunshot wounds. Following days of witness testimony and closing arguments from both legal teams, Supreme Court Justice Nigel Pilgrim announced he would reserve his ruling until July 31, giving time for careful review of all evidence presented in court.
The prosecution’s case is anchored by the testimony of a key witness: Banks’ former girlfriend, who was Espinosa’s romantic partner at the time of the killing. Citing credible threats to her personal safety and that of her young child, the witness was granted permission to deliver her testimony remotely via video link. She told the court that Espinosa pressured her to lure Banks to the Lake Garden neighborhood, threatening to kill her and her son if she refused to comply with the plan.
Per the witness’s account, she contacted Banks under the pretense of requesting a ride to the nearby town of Ladyville. When the pair arrived at the prearranged location in Lake Garden, Espinosa emerged from hiding and opened fire directly into the vehicle Banks was driving. Though Banks managed to speed away from the attack to escape, he ultimately crashed his vehicle a short time later. A post-mortem examination conducted after his death confirmed that he died from a total of seven gunshot wounds inflicted during the attack.
Investigators first connected Espinosa to the crime after recovering the witness’s cell phone in close proximity to the crash and attack site. Law enforcement later traced the device’s ownership to the shared residence of Espinosa and the witness in Lords Bank. The witness fully cooperated with authorities throughout the investigation and has not faced any charges connected to Banks’ killing, while Espinosa was taken into custody and formally charged with murder.
Breaking with the common practice of defendants declining to testify, Espinosa took the witness stand in his own defense to deny any role in the killing. He told the court that he was at his own home at the time of the shooting, maintaining his complete innocence in the case. After both the prosecution and defense delivered their final closing arguments summarizing their positions, Justice Pilgrim adjourned the trial and scheduled the delivery of the final verdict for two weeks after the hearing, on July 31.
