AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums Belize by District Cayo Unidentified man slain by Bull?

An unidentified man was discovered dead on a farm where he worked as a caretaker. The decomposing body which was discovered in the West Lake Area was observed with external injuries. And though it looked like another number would be added to growing murder list, it turns out the main suspect is not even human. Up to news time it is believed that one of the animals in his care caused his death. News Five's Andrea Polanco went out to the remote property on the Western Highway.

Andrea Polanco, Reporting

The body of a Hispanic man believed to be in his mid-fifties was discovered around eleven this morning on this farm. The property is located around mile eight in the Western Paradise Community on the Western Highway. Chairman of the village, Terrence Cassasola says that man was given lodging here in Thurton Ridge area, some two miles off the main street. He was alerted this morning of a freak accident.

Terrence Cassasola, Chairman, Western Paradise

Terrence Cassasola

"I got a call roughly about an hour ago and so they told me that they found a body to the back where Thurton Ridge is at."

Andrea Polanco

"So it hasn't been established when he was killed?"

Terrence Cassasola

"Well umm, the guy that was looking for him, he claims that he left the guy five thirty yesterday evening and this morning when he came and look for him roughly about six o'clock, he didn't find him. So he went home and then he came back roughly an hour, an hour and a half later and then he discovered the body."

Andrea Polanco

"Ok, so the man who was killed, he's a resident from here in Western Paradise?"

Terrence Cassasola

"Not actually a resident, he didn't have any place to stay and Mr. Thurton gave him a place that he could stay for the time being."

This amateur video shows the caretaker's mangled nude body, and inflicted with several wounds. Also in the same yard, was the farm's black and white bull which is believed to have killed the man.

Terrence Cassasola

"We noticed that the guy had two puncture wounds on him, on his side and one on his foot, as well as his guts was coming out."

Andrea Polanco

"So, I understand it is believed that a bull inflicted those wounds?"

Terrence Cassasola

"Possibility; yes."

Andrea Polanco

"And that's a bull from a farm that he was taking care of?"

Terrence Cassasola

"Well just that they told me he was staying at the farm every now and again nuh so it's basically that he's not working on the farm. He was just you know assisting."

Andrea Polanco

"Would you say the bull was demonstrating any aggressiveness this morning?"

Terrence Cassasola

"Well as far as I saw umm the bull was smelling the clothes that he was supposed to have on and then after a while the bull was starting to go where the body was at and then we start to try and get the bull away from there."

Andrea Polanco

"But you haven't heard of any previous reports involving this bull maybe being aggressive towards other residents of the community?"

Terrence Cassasola

"No, no, no. The only that I know they told me that the bull had bucked this guy before."

On site are police officers and Scenes of Crime personnel assessing the scene on the remote property. After about an hour, the body was placed in the back of this police truck and then transported to the KHMH for a post-mortem. Reporting for News Five, I am Andrea Polanco.

A post-mortem was conducted late this evening; however, Dr. Mario Estradabran listed the cause of death as inconclusive due to the advanced state of decomposition.

Channel 5

Is A Bull To Blame For Man's Death?

7news was at the scene where there are more questions than answers - including some about a very territorial bull:

Jules Vasquez Reporting:

The farm where the body was found is 1.8 miles south of the mile 8 community now known as Western Paradise in an area known as Thurton Ridge.

The scenes of crime team and the CIB's homicide unit, led by Inspector David Chi, marched into the farm to find some clues after what had been a grisly discovery.

Chairman of Western, Paradise Terence Casasola, was the first person called to the scene after the body was discovered.

Terence Casasola - Chairman, Western Pines
"We came and - at the back of Thurton Ridge- and we saw the lifeless body of a male on the ground."

Jules Vasquez
"What was his condition?"

Terence Casasola
"Well, he was all torn up, in what case; I noticed some holes on him. What the holes are, I don't know. What happened, his guts were hanging out, in a sense that he was laying down, and the guts were out of his body."

Jules Vasquez
"And he had multiple puncture wounds?"

Terence Casasola
"Multiple puncture wounds, yes, he has 2 on his side - as far as we've seen - and one on in his leg."

The body was taken out of the farm - to the city for a post mortem. But according to police, an initial inspection indicates that he may have been gored by a cow, or possibly by this large bull - who let us know we weren't welcomed by mooing us away.

The chairman says that when he got there, he noted the same behavior:

Terence Casasola - Chairman, Western Pines
"As far as we saw when we came, was that the bull was sniffing around the clothes and stuff like that."

The bull was tied up for police to examine - and indeed, that appears to be the only theory at this time. The chairman said that when he got there nothing appeared to have been stolen.

Terence Casasola
"As far as we have seen, everything is still in the where the guy was living. Nothing was touched, or anything like that. And the guy was lying roughly about 20 - 25 feet away from where he was staying."

The man who was only staying at the farm - was last seen by the caretaker the day before at 5:30 p.m.

Police have not been able to confirm the identity of the deceased. He had injuries to the rib cage, left upper thigh and the stomach. A post mortem was conducted this afternoon by Dr. Estradabran, but it was inconclusive due to the advanced state of decomposition - meaning he could not determine what caused the wounds.

Channel 7