Brothers charged for killing businesswoman

A family’s search for their missing mother ended on Tuesday morning April 28 with the discovery of what police say are the charred remains of Cristina Rosa Cornejo, The 68-year-old businessman who runs the popular “Our Shopping Center” in Belmopan’s Market Square was reported missing by family on April 18. As police began investigating, they visited Cornejo’s home where they found an open door and some broken glass.  A day later her 1997 Nissan Pickup was found abandoned on a feeder road between miles forty six and forty seven on the Western Highway.  The keys were still in the ignition. 

Twelve days after finding her vehicle, a farmer found what are believed to be Cornejo’s charred remain on a feeder road three hundred yards off the Western Highway in an area known as Mount Pleasant.  The farmer who found the body is Edwardo Baptist.  He was in the area searching for lumber early on Tuesday morning when he saw smoke.  He went closer and searched the rubble which is when he saw a human skull and other pieces of bone that were clearly human.  He then called police. 

The body was burnt beyond recognition, but based on jewellery and other items found in the ashes, Rosa Cornejo’s family was able to confirm to police that the body was hers.  A post mortem was conducted but police were unable to certify a cause of death.  Police suspect Rosa Cornejo was killed by someone she knew or trusted because on the night she went missing, she was already asleep when her attacker knocked on her door and she opened it. 

The police’s theory proved right after they charged two brothers for killing and then burning the body of Cornejo. Less than a week after the discovery, Belmopan Police made the arrest.  18-year-old Herson Sanchez and his 16-year-old brother Jose Sanchez were arrested and charged by police after police say there is evidence that the brothers committed the heinous crime. Police say that they have witnesses who report seeing the brothers removing Cornejo’s body from her home. The 18-year-old brother was a former employee of Cornejo.

 

The brothers appeared in Belmopan’s Magistrates’ Court on Monday May 4 where the older Sanchez was remanded to the Hattieville Prison and the minor was sent to boot-camp. The two are to reappear in court on June 19.