Posted: Thursday, October 30, 2025. 8:26 pm CST.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: Eighteen-year-old Cassian Billary, who lured and fatally shot his friend, 19-year-old Micah Baltazar, in 2020, was handed a life sentence on Thursday by Justice Candace Nanton in the High Court of Belize City.
Billary, now 23, was convicted in June of this year for the December 4, 2020 murder of Baltazar, an unemployed resident of Kraal Road. Evidence revealed that Baltazar was deceived by friends who told him he was being taken to meet a girl, only to be ambushed and shot 17 times shortly after leaving his uncle’s home.
In delivering the sentence, Justice Nanton began with a 30-year starting point for the life term. After considering both aggravating and mitigating factors—including Billary’s age at the time of the offense, his clean prior record, and his nearly five years spent on remand—she imposed a fixed sentence of 25 years. With time already served, Billary will spend a remaining 20 years and 2 months in prison, effective from December 15, 2020, the date of his initial detention.
During sentencing, Justice Nanton noted that Billary’s claim of acting under duress was not a valid defense for murder but was taken into account as a mitigating factor. “Duress is not an excuse for murder,” she said, “but the court recognizes it as a factor in assessing culpability.”
A character witness, Shericia Reneau, described Billary as a respectful young man and asked the court for leniency, highlighting his positive behavior while incarcerated. Reports from prison officials confirmed he has been working as a barber and is seen as a good candidate for rehabilitation.
However, Justice Nanton emphasized the seriousness of the crime, pointing to the deliberate nature of the killing, the use of a firearm, and the fact that the murder was a planned ambush on a public street—factors that raised the gravity of the case.
Despite finding that the aggravating circumstances outweighed the mitigating ones, the judge concluded that a fixed term was fair given Billary’s youth and potential for reform.
Billary was first arrested on December 15, 2020, and later charged and remanded to the Belize Central Prison. His trial began on March 25, 2025, before Justice Nanton in a judge-alone proceeding, and he was found guilty of murder on June 13, 2025.
Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Belize ~ We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages. Your content is delivered instantly to thousands of users in Belize and abroad! Contact us at mаrkеtіng@brеаkіngbеlіzеnеwѕ.соm or call us at 501-612-0315.
© 2025, BreakingBelizeNews.com. Content is copyrighted and requires written permission for reprinting in online or print media. Theft of content without permission/payment is punishable by law.
Comments
More Belize News:
Central American Games: Karla Gillett, Selvani Leiva win bronze in 10-Ball Billiards as Belize reach 15 medals
Central American Games: Trent Hardwick wins bronze in ILCA 7 Sailing, Belize’s 15th medal
Cassian Billary sentenced to 25 years in prison for luring his own friend Micah Baltazar to his death; tricked him into meeting a girl but shot him 17 times
The post Cassian Billary sentenced to 25 years in prison for luring his own friend Micah Baltazar to his death; tricked him into meeting a girl but shot him 17 times appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
Posted: Thursday, October 30, 2025. 8:26 pm CST. By Breaking Belize News Staff: Eighteen-year-old Cassian Billary, who lured and fatally shot his friend, 19-year-old Micah Baltazar,
The post Cassian Billary sentenced to 25 years in prison for luring his own friend Micah Baltazar to his death; tricked him into meeting a girl but shot him 17 times appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
