Missing Roaring Creek Man Found Dead in Belmopan

One family’s search for their missing loved one ended in tragedy today when his dead body was discovered in western Belize. Over the weekend, 24-year-old Moises Garbutt went missing from his home in Roaring Creek Village. His family could not locate him and immediately launched search efforts. Tonight, we can confirm that his dead body has been recovered from a bushy area in Belmopan. It’s a revelation that has brought both closure and grief to Garbutt’s family. Reporter Benjamin Flowers has the story. 

Benjamin Flowers, Love News: Moises Garbutt was to celebrate his 24th birthday on Sunday with his family in Roaring Creek Village. He never got the chance. Garbutt was last seen just before midnight on Saturday night and then vanished without a trace. His family immediately launched search efforts and spent countless hours searching for him but it was not until just after midday this afternoon that his dead body was discovered near a quarry in Belmopan. The body had various injuries including apparent burns. His aunt Rachel Guzman spoke about the harrowing discovery and explained that the last few days have been emotional for them.

Rachel Guzman, Aunt of the deceased: “Well we got a tip that he was in Wary Head. I believe that it was a distraction to distract us from where he really was. And so my nephew decided that maybe he would be in a more closer are to the area where he disappeared form. Driving through here my daughter saw some birds flying over so we decided to stop here and check and we went through the bushes because we saw like something was mashed down you know like when someone walks through bushes. So we decided to go through there and from about maybe about a hundred meters I saw him there. He was already, his hands were up, he was stiff, he was already decomposing.”

Benjamin Flowers, Love News: His relatives expressed frustration with the Belize Police Department which they feel didn’t do enough to help find Garbutt. Guzman says that with limited support the family carried out its own investigation and is certain that Garbutt was set up to be killed. 

Rachel Guzman, Aunt of the deceased: “He left where he is always at, where is with his uncles and his cousins and he went down to I think a bar that was close by to get more drinks and stuff with one of his friends. We have footage, on the camera that he went down, he walked back up and three vehicles followed him, followed behind him and we did our own investigation because like I said we weren’t getting much assistance at first. And we from the investigation that we did we realized that the people that he left with took a different direction where cameras could not see him leave with them.”

Reporter: So you think that he was set up ? 

Rachel Guzman, Aunt of the deceased: “He was set up. We don’t think, we know he was set up.”

Benjamin Flowers, Love News: Leah James, Garbutt’s sister, says that the news has greatly affected their family and left them with many unanswered questions including how they will now care for Garbutt’s two small children. 

Leah James, Sister of the Deceased: “My mom is taking it very hard. She’s already sick. Moises and I have been at her side as she’s battling cancer so this is very hard for her to first of all sit with and try to figure out where to go now not only to bury her son but how will we come together and take care of his children now because he has young children. So how will we do that ? So she’s taking it very hard. We have some sort of closure now which we are grateful for however we need justice.”
Benjamin Flowers, Love News:  Garbutt’s family says they will now be reminiscing on the good times they shared with him.