Husband Charged with Manslaughter in Death of Wife After San Pedro Bar Brawl

Police have brought charges against 41-year-old, Maynor Rene Ancona, for the death of his wife, 46-year-old, Jennifer Lynn Griffith. Over the weekend, Griffith, an American national, lost her life after she was hit to the head with a conch shell during a fight in San Pedro Town. On Saturday morning, the pair crashed their golf cart into El Norte Bar, sparking an altercation between them and several other people. During the brawl, Griffith was injured and later taken to the Ambergris Hope Hospital where she received treatment for cut wounds behind her head.  She had, however, refused further medical attention. On Sunday, she was rushed back to the hospital, but she was pronounced dead on arrival. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams says the cops carried out a thorough investigation and have since charged Griffith’s husband with the crime of manslaughter by negligence. 

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police: “The pathologist certified that the lady died from a penetration to the head by a projectile. I also think that fragments of the conch shell was also found in her head and so we can say definitively now that it was the conch shell that caused her death. The question now is who threw the conch shell that caused her death. And we have recorded a number of statements from persons who were involved in the fight as well as other independent witnesses and from the investigation it appeared or we can confirm from the investigation that the person who threw the projectile that caused the death of the American woman is her husband and so he will be charged today for manslaughter by negligence.”

Reporter: He didn’t mean to.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police: “Yeah obviously. He was throwing it indiscriminately and then it caught her and that lead to her death. It’s a very sad situation. I know that he must be going through a very difficult time now. He lost his wife and now he has to be charged for it. For sure he did not intend to but in law there is a thing called transfer of malice.”

Reporter: So did he admit to that ? 

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police: “No he did not.”

Williams says police surveillance footage from the area did not capture the ordeal.