By Belize Live News Staff: Police in Corozal have launched an intensive investigation after the body of 27-year-old Michael Whittaker was exhumed and decapitated just one day after his burial.
Authorities were called to Alta Mira Cemetery early this morning, where they discovered Whittaker’s disturbed grave and his severed head lying nearby. Whittaker, a Belizean man found murdered in Chetumal, Mexico, had only been laid to rest yesterday before unknown individuals desecrated his grave in what police are calling a gruesome and deeply unsettling act.
Police Commissioner Chester Williams confirmed the incident in a brief interview, stating that investigators are working to determine who is behind the shocking crime.
In a related incident, authorities discovered that the grave of Aaron Tun, another Belizean murdered in Chetumal, had also been tampered with in the Finca Solana area. Reports indicate that holes were found in his tomb, suggesting that the perpetrators attempted to remove his body. However, it is believed they were unable to fully exhume the corpse. Instead, unconfirmed reports suggest that they attempted to set the body on fire inside the tomb before fleeing the scene.
Both Whittaker and Tun were among five bodies found in Sacxan, Quintana Roo, Mexico, last Saturday in what authorities believe to be a targeted killing. Their murders have raised concerns about transnational crime, and now, the desecration of their graves has added another layer of horror to an already troubling case.
Investigators are working to identify those responsible for the grave robbery, decapitation, and arson attempt, but no suspects have been named at this time.
Authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward as they work to bring those responsible to justice.
