More than three years after a brutal New Year’s Eve massacre shattered a Belmopan family, former police officer Elmer Nah came one step closer to learning his fate today. However, the highly anticipated sentencing was adjourned after the trial judge said he needed additional time to consider all submissions made before the court.
Justice Nigel Pilgrim announced that he would reserve his decision overnight and return at 9 o’clock tomorrow morning to deliver Nah’s sentence.
Nah, a former police corporal, was found guilty on May 29 of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder for the deadly attack that unfolded at the Ramnarace family home in Belmopan on December 31, 2022.
The shooting claimed the lives of brothers Jon and David Ramnarace. Jon’s wife, Vivian Belisle Ramnarace, survived the initial attack but later succumbed to her injuries. A fourth victim, Yemi Alberto, survived the gunfire.
During Thursday’s sentencing hearing, both the prosecution and members of the Ramnarace family urged the court to impose a life sentence on Nah. They argued that the gravity of the crimes, coupled with the devastating impact on the victims’ loved ones, warranted the harshest punishment available under the law.
A key piece of evidence during the trial was testimony Vivian Belisle Ramnarace provided before her death. In delivering his guilty verdict, Justice Pilgrim described her account as credible and reliable, noting that video evidence closely matched her version of events.
The judge also rejected Nah’s explanation of his whereabouts during the attack, finding that the former officer had deliberately lied to investigators and the court.
