Posted: Monday, February 24, 2025. 11:11 am CST.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: After nearly two years on remand, 34-year-old Alvaro Tun walked free on Thursday after being acquitted of the murder of Elder Arana. The fatal stabbing occurred on March 5, 2023, at Jeemar’s Nightclub in the San Pedrito area of San Pedro.
Tun’s acquittal was handed down by Justice Derick Sylvester, who ruled that the prosecution failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Tun was the person who inflicted the fatal injuries. The case relied heavily on the testimony of the prosecution’s key witness, Diego Santos, whose inconsistent statements and contradictions led the judge to deem him unreliable.
Arana was stabbed six times during a brawl that erupted after the nightclub closed earlier than usual. A security guard’s box cutter was recovered at the scene, but he was never charged. Instead, Tun was arrested based on Santos’ statement. However, during the trial, Santos changed his testimony multiple times, at one point claiming he was too drunk to remember the incident. His contradictions led the prosecution to declare him a hostile witness.
Justice Sylvester noted that there was no forensic evidence linking Tun to the crime, and that the court was not satisfied with the identification of the accused. The judge also highlighted that Tun was attacked by multiple men during the altercation.
Following his acquittal, Tun expressed his condolences to Arana’s family but maintained that he was wrongly accused. “I prayed for justice, and today, the truth has set me free,” he said.
Tun’s attorney, Lynden Jones, argued that his client, who was wearing a maroon shirt with “Security” printed on the back, was mistaken for the club’s actual security guard.
The trial began on January 13, 2025, with the prosecution, led by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), calling 14 witnesses. However, the inconsistencies in key testimonies ultimately led to Tun’s acquittal.
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The post San Pedro man acquitted of murder in 2023 nightclub stabbing appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
Posted: Monday, February 24, 2025. 11:11 am CST. By Breaking Belize News Staff: After nearly two years on remand, 34-year-old Alvaro Tun walked free on Thursday
The post San Pedro man acquitted of murder in 2023 nightclub stabbing appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
