Sentencing delayed again for two men who pleaded guilty in 2018 killing of police constable Osbourne Martinez

By Breaking Belize News Staff: Nearly four years after pleading guilty to manslaughter in the killing of Police Constable Osbourne Martinez, Tyrique Myles and Glen Lopez remain behind bars awaiting sentencing after another adjournment in the High Court on Thursday.

The two men appeared before Justice Nigel Pilgrim on October 8, but sentencing could not proceed because the agreed facts and formal plea agreement had not yet been filed with the court.

Justice Pilgrim gave the parties until Friday, October 9, to submit the necessary documents and adjourned the sentencing proceedings to October 27, 2026.

Both men were represented in court by attorney Norman Rodriguez.

Myles and Lopez pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter in November 2022 before then-High Court Justice Ricardo O’Neil Sandcroft. However, their sentencing has remained outstanding for almost four years.

The case stems from the November 2, 2018 murder of 27-year-old Police Constable Osbourne Martinez, who was fatally shot while responding to an armed robbery at the Belcove Hotel on Regent Street West in downtown Belize City.

Martinez and other officers responded to reports of an armed robbery involving three men. During the confrontation, Martinez was shot and later died while undergoing treatment at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.

Myles, Lopez and Rayford Mejia were subsequently arrested and jointly charged with murder. While Myles and Lopez eventually pleaded guilty to manslaughter, Mejia maintained his innocence and proceeded to trial.

In May 2023, Justice Sandcroft found Mejia guilty of murder, determining that the prosecution had proven his involvement in the killing.

The latest adjournment means Myles and Lopez must remain in custody for another 19 days before their sentencing proceedings are scheduled to resume, nearly eight years after Martinez was killed in the line of duty.

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