Stepfather Faces Trial for Alleged Killing and Abuse of 3-Year-Old Stepson

The court trial against 31-year-old Kenrick Longsworth began today before Justice Derick Sylvester.  The matter surrounds a heart-breaking incident that unfolded on January 10, 2020.  Longsworth is accused of killing his 3-year-old stepson, Mark Teul, and severely beating the other two stepsons, Markeem and Zemark Teul.  Four years ago when Police responded to the crime scene on Lovely Lane in Belize City, they found the 3-year-old motionless on a mattress while the other two, ages two and four were in the bedroom with bruises and signs of sexual trauma.  The mother, Zema Requena, testified that she had gone to a house down the street and when she returned she found Longsworth sitting on a bucket outside the house, seemingly upset.  When she queried what was wrong, he told him to take the children with her next time she goes out.  He then demanded that she get him a cigarette.  Afterwards, she realized that the 3-year-old was unresponsive and took him to the hospital, leaving the other two behind.  A medical examination conducted on the children found that the 3-year-old sustained multiple bruises to the body, a swollen head, abrasions to the face, arms, chest, feet and mouth, and a broken left foot.  The medical examination also found that the toddler had a torn anus.  His post-mortem showed that he died due to asphyxia, blunt force trauma to the head and abdominal compression. The other two boys were badly beaten and had endured sexual abuse as well.  They were hospitalized for several days and released.  Today in court the mother, Zema Requena, was called to testify but had an emotional breakdown and stormed out of the courtroom.  The judge ordered that she return to the courtroom and she was chastised.  Longsworth’s attorney countered Requena’s version of events, saying that it was she (the mother) who beat and abused the boys because Longsworth had told her that he was breaking up with her.  The mother denied the allegation saying that when she met Longsworth he had promised her a better life.  She expressed remorse for leaving the children’s father for Longsworth.  She told the court that she would never harm her children over a man.  The trial continues tomorrow in the Belize High Court.