Posted: Sunday, December 24, 2023. 3:41 pm CST.
By Aaron Humes: A senior citizen who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in a fatal chopping will have to serve more jail time after the judge disagreed with mitigation pleas to release him on time served.
Salvadoran Efrain Beltran Martinez, 60, made a guilty plea in the death of Guatemalan Elmer Salazar, 43, who was chopped five times and died on a farm in January of 2019.
Martinez and defense counsel Leeroy Banner made mitigation pleas on Wednesday after which High Court Justice Ricardo O’Neil Sandcroft set a 20-year prison term but deducted as much as fourteen years for various reasons, including good behavior before the incident, and while imprisoned; remorse, provocation, and an early plea.
Martinez’s boss, George Orellano, told the court that up until 2019, Martinez was his best employee of 16 years, did great work, was never lazy, and did anything he was asked to do on the job. The incident was provoked by Salazar jumping the fence, prompting Martinez to act in a manner that was out of character for him. His eldest daughter also pleaded on his behalf before the court, saying her father was their family’s sole provider before the incident and a humble man.
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The post Efrain Beltran Martinez, 60, gets six-year sentence after deduction of time for his guilty plea to manslaughter charge appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
Posted: Sunday, December 24, 2023. 3:41 pm CST. By Aaron Humes: A senior citizen who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in a fatal chopping will have to
The post Efrain Beltran Martinez, 60, gets six-year sentence after deduction of time for his guilty plea to manslaughter charge appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
