He was found dead inside the San Pedro Police Station 14 days ago, on April 26th, and on Thursday May 10th, Kevin ‘Boco-T’ Kelly was finally laid to rest at the Lord Ridge Cemetery in Belize City. His family firmly believes that police are responsible for Kelly’s death, even more so after the post mortem that was just issued indicates that he bled to death.
The post mortem, which was conducted on May 8th by Dr. Mario Estradabran certified that the 38 year old Belize City resident died from “Hypervolemic shock due to internal bleeding, due to multiple abdominal trauma, due to blunt instrument type.” According to Dr. Javier Zuniga, such cause of death means that Kelly “internally bled to death.” When asked what can cause someone to die in such a short time frame, Dr. Zuniga said that “it had to be a big blood vessel of a main organ that ruptured.” On the night of the incident, police claimed that Kelly fainted several times before and while in police custody. Dr Zuniga explained that such “traumatic behavior is consistent with someone’s whose blood pressure falls quickly,” explained Zuniga.
While family members claim that several people have informed them that they saw police hitting Kelly in the process of being detained, SP police have denied such actions. However the post mortem results indicate that the injuries received was “due to blunt instrument type.” When asked about not noticing visible signs of violence on the day Kelly was declared dead shortly after 11:30PM on April 26th, Dr. Zuniga indicated that “such injuries are visible after two to three hours after the injuries.”
Kelly’s death is not by natural cause but is as a result of injuries inflicted on him or received as a result of an accident.
Lincoln Kelly, brother of the deceased explained to the media that “We are not satisfied with the outcome. From the autopsy we can see how he died. The story that they gave earlier about how he fell, fainted and died is not what the autopsy is saying. We believe, and before, we were hearing rumors from people who lives in San Pedro who knows us tells us that police detain my brother and shock him up and throw water on him and kill him. The autopsy just proves that to me now.”
According to the Officer in Charge of the San Pedro Police Department, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Vienie Robinson the investigation is being conducted by personnel from the Criminal Investigation Unit (CIB) and Internal Affairs Officers of the Police Department. ASP Robinson said that by allowing CIB and Internal Affairs it “will eliminate any suspicion” that SP police have anything to hide. “If any of the police are guilty of any wrong doing regarding this case, they will be charged,” emphasized ASP Robinson. There is no indicating if the matter will be treated as an accident or a homicide but according to police, the investigation continues.
On the night of April 26th, shortly before 11PM Kelly was in the process of being taken to the SP Police Station when he managed to escape. A police chase ended up behind the Four Sister Plaza on Pescador Drive, where several shots were fired at Kelly. He was later apprehended behind a yard on Angel Coral Street, taken to and locked down at the San Pedro Police Station where he died at about 11:3O PM while in police custody. Kelly had snatched a purse, a cell phone and a chain from a resident while on the beach earlier that night. Not only is Kelly the second person to die in police custody in less than two months, but the circumstances surrounding his death are the second to bring the SP police under public scrutiny. Miguel Martinez was also found dead in his cell on February 21st, 2012 and his family also believes that police may have been implicated in his death.
