By Breaking Belize News Staff: Nearly two months after Juan Carlos Novelo was found not guilty of murdering his common-law wife, Leslie Margarita Verde, High Court Justice Candace Nanton has released a 29-page judgment explaining why the Crown’s circumstantial case failed to prove that Novelo was her killer.
Justice Nanton acquitted Novelo on July 20, 2026, following a judge-alone trial. At the time, she indicated that her detailed reasons would follow in writing. The decision sparked protests in Caye Caulker, where Verde’s relatives and supporters demanded an explanation for the verdict.
In her written ruling, Nanton made clear that there was no dispute that 32-year-old Verde had been unlawfully killed. Medical evidence from a doctor established that she died from asphyxia caused by neck compression and that the injuries were intentionally inflicted.
The crucial question, however, was whether the Crown had proven beyond reasonable doubt that Novelo was the person who inflicted those injuries.
The prosecution’s case relied heavily on Verde’s minor daughter, whose identity BBN is withholding. The child testified that she heard noises from her mother’s bedroom, peeped through an opening near the attic and saw Novelo beside her mother. She also claimed that she later saw him move her mother’s body behind the bedroom door.
But Justice Nanton found that the child’s evidence contained “material inconsistencies,” significant differences from earlier accounts and portions that were implausible when compared with the other evidence.
The judge noted that the inconsistencies went to the heart of the prosecution’s case rather than minor details. As a result, she said she could not safely rely on substantial portions of the child’s testimony — including the claims that she saw Novelo touching Verde and later moving her body.
That finding significantly weakened the Crown’s circumstantial case.
Surveillance evidence established that Verde returned home at approximately 4:29 a.m.; Novelo was at the residence and left around 5:28 a.m. He returned at approximately 8:16 a.m., went inside and shortly afterward left carrying beers. Verde was discovered dead closer to midday.
However, Dr. Blanco could not establish an exact time of death, meaning the remaining evidence did not prove that Verde necessarily died during a period when Novelo was the only person who could have killed her.
Justice Nanton said circumstantial evidence must form a coherent chain pointing to guilt as the only reasonable conclusion. Once critical portions of the minor’s testimony were rejected as unreliable, she found that the remaining evidence did not establish beyond reasonable doubt that Novelo caused Verde’s death.
Importantly, the judge stressed that the acquittal was not based on accepting Novelo’s version of events.
Novelo had given an unsworn statement maintaining that Verde was alive when he left their home and that during their eight-year relationship he had never harmed her. Justice Nanton said she did not need to rely on that account because the weakness was already present in the Crown’s case.
“The weakness identified is a failure of proof in the Crown’s case and does not arise from the Court accepting the Accused’s account,” the judgment stated.
Verde, a mother of three, was found unresponsive inside her Caye Caulker home on November 4, 2023. Police initially reported bruising around her neck and no signs of forced entry. Novelo was arrested and charged with murder days later.
Following his July acquittal, Verde’s family and other Caye Caulker residents staged a peaceful protest demanding answers, specifically calling for the written judgment explaining how the court arrived at the not-guilty verdict.
The post Judge explains Juan Carlos Novelo acquittal in Leslie Verde murder: Key witness unreliable, circumstantial case fell short appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: Nearly two months after Juan Carlos Novelo was found not guilty of murdering his common-law wife, Leslie Margarita Verde, High Court Justice Candace Nanton has released a 29-page judgment explaining why the Crown’s circumstantial case failed to prove that Novelo was her killer. Justice Nanton acquitted Novelo on July 20,
The post Judge explains Juan Carlos Novelo acquittal in Leslie Verde murder: Key witness unreliable, circumstantial case fell short appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.