Miguelito Encalada gets two life sentences for murdering wife and brother

By Breaking Belize News Staff: Miguelito Encalada was sentenced on Monday to two concurrent life sentences for the murders of his wife, Desiree Elizabeth Gonzalez, and his younger brother, George Vincent Rochester. Justice Candace Nanton ordered that Encalada must serve at least 40 years before becoming eligible for parole. The sentences were backdated to April 24, 2023, when he was remanded to the Belize Central Prison. Encalada was found guilty on May 22, 2026, of two counts of murder in connection with the fatal shootings, which occurred on April 20, 2023, at a restaurant and residence on Scissors Tail Street in the New Site area of Ladyville. Justice Nanton began with a minimum term of 42 years, citing the use of a firearm, the close-range nature of the killings, the deaths of two close relatives and the fact that the murders occurred inside the victims’ home and business. She deducted two years after considering Encalada’s good conduct while on remand, his completion of rehabilitation programmes, his lack of prison infractions and favourable accounts of his work mentoring young men in Ladyville and his role as a father. Before being sentenced, Encalada offered condolences to both families but continued to maintain his innocence. “I am not behind this crime. I am not the shooter,” he told the court, claiming the real killers remained in the community. During his trial, Encalada said armed men entered the establishment, forced him to the ground and stole approximately $8,000. He claimed he later found Gonzalez and Rochester lying on the floor and denied having any involvement in their deaths. Encalada was represented by attorney Hurl Hamilton, while Crown Counsel Glenfield Dennison appeared for the prosecution. The post Miguelito Encalada gets two life sentences for murdering wife and brother appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.