By Breaking Belize News Staff: The sentencing of Maurice Usher Jr., who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the killing of elderly Crooked Tree resident Geoffrey Crawford, has been postponed as the High Court awaits several key reports needed to determine an appropriate sentence.
Usher Jr. appeared before Justice Derick Sylvester on Tuesday for sentencing in the matter; however, the hearing had to be adjourned due to delays in the preparation of several pertinent documents. These include a Social Inquiry Report (SIR), the convict’s antecedent report, a prison report, and a victim impact statement. The court expects these documents to be ready by the end of March 2026.
In light of the delay, Justice Sylvester ordered that both the Crown and the defense file their submissions by the end of March. The parties are also required to agree on the mitigating and aggravating factors in the case and submit those to the court by March 31, 2026. Additionally, the agreed facts of the case must be filed by mid-March.
Attorney Oscar Selgado, who represents Usher Jr., informed the court that the defense intends to call one character witness to speak on behalf of his client.
Usher Jr. entered a guilty plea to the lesser charge of manslaughter on February 5, 2026, after initially pleading not guilty to murder. The Crown accepted the plea.
He is charged in connection with the death of Geoffrey Crawford, which occurred on September 29, 2021, at Mile 31 in Crooked Tree Village along the Philip Goldson Highway.
Crawford had been reported missing after he was last seen being taken from his Crooked Tree home in his red Nissan Pathfinder. His family later made a public appeal for assistance in locating him after discovering signs that he may have been harmed.
Investigations revealed that Crawford’s body was later found in a shallow grave. A neighbor told police that he had helped two men jump-start Crawford’s vehicle, believing they were relatives or friends. However, as the men were leaving in the vehicle, the neighbor reportedly saw Crawford lying unconscious in the back seat with injuries to his head. The men then drove off, prompting the neighbor to alert police.
Usher Jr.’s sentencing hearing has been adjourned to April 14, 2026.
The Crown is represented by Crown Counsel Maria Santana-Nembhard from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, while Attorney Oscar Selgado appears for the defense.
The post Maurice Usher Jr. awaits sentencing pending Social Inquiry report in 2021 death of Geoffrey Crawford appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: The sentencing of Maurice Usher Jr., who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the killing of elderly Crooked Tree resident Geoffrey Crawford, has been postponed as the High Court awaits several key reports needed to determine an appropriate sentence. Usher Jr. appeared before Justice Derick Sylvester on Tuesday for sentencing in
The post Maurice Usher Jr. awaits sentencing pending Social Inquiry report in 2021 death of Geoffrey Crawford appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.