John Ross
Up north, the body of a US national was found at his farm in Xaibe, Corozal on Monday by three men who went there to purchase sheep. It had multiple chop wounds and was dismembered. John Ross had been living at the farm for six years and from all accounts he seemed to be getting along well. But something went terribly wrong and he was viciously hacked to death. Three men are being questioned including his son. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.
Duane Moody, Reporting
An American national has been murdered in the Corozal district. On Monday morning, the mutilated body of forty-nine year old John Ross was discovered at his farm in an isolated area of Xiabe Village in Corozal. Ross had been butchered with a machete just outside his house and today, the home remains opened and abandoned.
Peter Serano
On the Phone: ASP Peter Serano, Deputy O.C., Corozal Police
“Corozal police received information of an apparent dead body that was seen west of Xiabe village, Corozal District. Police immediately responded and on arrival at the scene, the lifeless body of a male person was seen lying face up on the ground in the yard beside his septic tank with what appears to be multiple chop wounds to the left neck, face and the right lower arm. The scene was processed and the body was transported to the Corozal Community Hospital.”
Ross was last seen alive on Saturday morning by neighbors as he travelled to Corozal Town to shop for groceries. The body was discovered on Monday by three men who went to his farm to purchase sheep.
Voice of: Man Who Discovered Body
“One of my cousins ask my uncle if he noh know where dehn sell sheep. So he tell we that dehn got wah white man on the sugar road and he has some sheep to sell. So we gone, but we mistake the road. When we come back now, we see wah old man on the side cleaning up the areas. So we ask the man if ih know weh wah white man weh sell sheep and thing. The old man say the road deh right yah so, at the corner of my worksite so unu could cross through and then right dah back the areas deh. So by the time we gone, we see lotta jankru on the trees and what’s not. But we noh pay it no mind. So when we reach at the yard, we see the sheep ina the coral weh dehn got deh right. So when we di hail and hail, nobody noh come out. then one ah my friend say, bwai see dah man dehn behind wah drum, maybe di man drop; go see weh happen to the man. So when we reach there, I tell ahn no bwai, this man dead. ih say but how? I say dah man chop up ina ih face and yo can’t recognize that man good. So he tell me well weh we wah do and I tell ahn best thing we call the police so they can take over the thing because we dah noh police. I just see his face chop up and he noh mi got wah arm…so one of his hand to now the polcei noh find it. I noh know if dehn gone back ina di even and find it—I noh know what happened afterwards—because the same moment the police move, the same time we moved too.”
Three persons are presently in police custody. News Five has confirmed that a caretaker, who worked with Ross as well as his son, twenty-three year old Chris Ross and a third person has been detained pending the outcome of the investigation. It is not known, however, why the retired US national, who has been living in Xaibe for the past six years, was hacked to death.
ASP Peter Serano
“We are not too sure how long he has been living in that area, but definitely well over three years.”
Duane Moody
“Is police anywhere close to solving this latest murder in Corozal?”
ASP Peter Serano
“Well as is, it is a young investigation; we are doing all we can do and like I said, we have three persons detained and those persons are being questioned as we speak.”
Duane Moody
“Sir, has the murder weapon been retrieved?”
ASP Peter Serano
“No, not as yet.”
Duane Moody
“A motive for the crime so far….I know it is still in its initial stages, but any motive as to why someone would hack this man to death?”
ASP Peter Serano
“We haven’t ascertained that as yet.”
Ross’s wife is currently in the U.S. and has since been notified of his murder. Duane Moody for News Five.
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