By Charles Gladden
BELIZE CITY, Mon. Aug. 18, 2025
On Friday, August 15, an Independence Village man was sentenced in the High Court at Dangriga to nine years behind bars at the Belize Central Prison after being found guilty of killing 34-year-old Belizean American Christon Logan in Bella Vista Village, Toledo District, in January 2024.
It was reported that Logan and his girlfriend had been walking toward their vehicle after leaving the Heartbeat Nightclub in Mango Creek when he got into a verbal dispute with 40-year-old Cornelio Martinez.
During that argument, Martinez pulled out a licensed pistol and fired a single shot which wounded Logan, who was then kicked by Martinez’s brother, Ernesto Martinez. Cornelio Martinez then fired more shots at Logan. A total of 9 shots were reportedly fired. The two brothers then fled in a nearby vehicle.
The siblings were later captured and initially charged with murder for Logan’s death, but the charge was later downgraded to manslaughter, to which Cornelio pleaded guilty, and the charge against Ernesto was dropped.
“I am grateful that … I feel pleased that the justice system never failed us today,” said Classique Linarez, sister of Christon Logan. “Mr. Martinez got nine years in prison, and this is to show other people and other families who are hurt by things like this, don’t give up. God never fails his people,” she said.
At the time of his untimely death, Logan was in the country to inspect the construction of his home in Mango Creek, and was expected to leave sometime in the following week.
