Trio walk free of murder/robbery charges DPP enters a nolle prosequi after 4 crucial witnesses could not be located.

BELIZE CITY, Fri. June 26, 2026
Tonight, 3 persons – a father, his young son, and another friend – are free after the DPP Crown felt obliged to enter a nolle prosequi against them following a very sensational murder case from back in 2023 at the river side in Gracie Rock Village which started out as a robbery and turned deadly for one man, while a number of others were injured and several robbed of their personal belongings.
The nolle prosequi came 24 days after the trial of the trio had begun in the High Court before Justice Candace Nanton, when four crucial witnesses for the Crown could not be located, leaving the case in limbo; hence why the DPP Crown this morning discontinued the case against the 3 accused, setting them free when he entered a nolle prosequi.
The trio that walked free include a father, Tyrone Young, Sr., then 35, now 38, a taxi-man/construction worker of #6484 Mahogany Street, Belize City; his son, Tyrone Young, Jr., then 16, now 19; and Aaron Smith, Jr., then 15, now 18, who were all charged jointly with murder.
Earlier, at the start of the trial, the Crown had made an application to the court seeking their assistance to issue a warrant for the four witnesses to be brought before the court, but those warrants could not be executed because the witnesses could not be located by the police.
On the weekend of Sunday, April 2, 2023, 26-year-old Denver Denmark Montero was among a group of persons socializing in Gracie Rock near the riverside when someone approached the group, robbed some of them, and a shooting occurred leaving one man dead in the end.
It was alleged from witnesses’ statements that Aaron Smith was the culprit who was armed with a firearm and began to rob the persons socializing.
It was further alleged from witnesses’ statements that Aaron Smith was later seen handing over the gun to Tyrone Young, Sr., who shot and killed Denver Montero, believed to be a part of the group, as they were leaving the area.
Back in 2023, police said they were unable to levy charges for the robbery of the patrons on that day as the group of 12 persons, 7 adults and 5 minors, were not cooperating with the police investigation.
But police said they had enough evidence to charge the alleged shooter, identified as 35-year-old Tyrone Devon Young, a construction worker & taxi-man of #6484 Mahogany Street, Belize City along with his son, Tyrone Young, Jr., and Aaron Smith for murder.
The trial against the trio started on June 1, 2026 in a trial by judge without jury before Justice Candace Nanton.
Attorney Ronell Gonzalez explained to the media today that the Crown had called several witnesses to the stand, including 2 Scenes of Crime technicians; the Investigating Officer, Sgt. Dorian Chi; and ten agreed witnesses which included the agreed statement of a Magistrate’s Court employee, a male, who was robbed at the riverside incident of his chain and other personal belongings. However, the Magistrate Court employee would not say to police back in 2023 who the robbers were who had stolen his items.
In the trial, Tyrone Young, Sr. was represented by attorney Ronell Gonzalez; while his son, Tyrone Young, Jr. was represented by Orson Elrington aka “OJ”; and Aaron Smith, Jr. was represented by attorney Dale Cayetano.
NOTE: Back in 2023, Tyrone Young, Sr., the father, was additionally charged with one count of attempted murder and use of deadly means of harm upon Ryan Kerr, who was shot and injured during the spray of bullets at the riverside in Grace Rock. Kerr was one of those 4 witnesses that could not be located by police during the trial.