Family members of 17 year old Kelvin Usher have intensified their search for the young man and the police department officially joined in the efforts on Tuesday. Usher was reported missing on Sunday September 24. On that day, police conducted a raid on a farm in Lucky Strike village where they found Cameron Kelvin Usher, the young man’s father, supposedly cultivating marijuana. He was charged with cultivation of 121 plants of marijuana. He was offered bail in the sum of 10 thousand dollars which he met and his case was adjourned until December 29.
Cameron Usher who is a devout Rastafarian had apparently gone to the plantation and taken his son, Kelvin along with him. When the Gang Suppression Unit descended on the field, Cameron was the only one who was detained. Kelvin’s family says he was in the area with his father and did not return home. They mounted a search on Monday which led them to find the young man’s cap as well as the wrapper of a granola bar and some shoe prints but Usher was not found.
On Tuesday September 27 police officially joined in the search and have enlisted the support of the K-9 unit as well as a drone in the hope of finding the young man alive. Those efforts were bolstered on Wednesday when Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Home Affairs, George Lovell said that “Belize police and BDF will do all it can to find Kelvin Usher. All assets from the BDF will be used in the search.” He added that an internal investigation will take place in order to determine the circumstances upon which the young man went missing.
There are concerns about the young man after reports of gun fire heard at the plantation surfaced and there was no original mention by the police of shots being fired in the area during Cameron Usher’s arrest. Additionally one of Kelvin’s sister has told the media that at least one GSU officer has contacted her expressing concern over her brother’s whereabouts and going to great lengths to assure her that the young man was only lost in the bushes as he ran off when gunshots were fired during Cameron’s arrest.
