Texas woman dies in Belize after being hit with conch shell during brawl with bar employees over hubby’s golf cart crash
An American woman tragically passed away following a brawl on La Isla Bonita over the weekend. Jennifer Lynn Griffith, 46, was in a golf cart driven by her husband, Maynor Rene Ancona, 41, when they crashed into El Norte Bar on Saturday night.
Police are currently investigating the death of Jennifer Lynn Griffith, a 46-year-old American living in San Pedro Town, which stemmed from an altercation that proved fatal.
Commissioner of Police Chester Williams revealed that on Saturday, April 6, around 7:00 p.m., police patrolling the northern area of the island encountered a group engaged in a brawl. Griffith was among them, displaying visible injuries.
The sequence of events seems to have started with a collision involving a golf cart occupied by Griffith and her husband, 41-year-old Maynor Rene Ancona, which potentially caused a head injury.
During the ensuing chaos, Griffith reportedly sustained further injuries when she was struck on the head with a conch shell.
Williams stated, “She was taken to the police station, along with the others, where she was issued a medical form and subsequently taken to the San Pedro Poly Clinic for treatment, while the other persons were detained at the police station pending investigation.”
Despite being taken to the clinic, Griffith declined medical care and returned home, where she tragically passed away the following day.
A forensic examination is scheduled to determine the precise cause of Griffith’s death. Meanwhile, two individuals related to the incident—a tour guide and a cook from the island—have been detained by the police.
Williams emphasized the urgency of the postmortem examination to establish the cause of death and guide potential charges against those involved in the brawl.
The police department is considering charging the individuals for disorderly conduct at minimum. Depending on the postmortem results, manslaughter charges could be brought against the person who struck Griffith with the conch shell, or her husband might face charges if her death is linked to the golf cart collision.
Notably, Griffith had expressed to the police, before leaving the clinic, that she did not wish to press charges against anyone involved in the altercation.
The involvement of alcohol or other substances in triggering the incident is not yet known.
