Local News

Ladyville Police are investigating a bizarre twist of events that started with a suspected arson on Tuesday night and ended on Wednesday night with the sudden death of a toddler.  Kaylee Burgess, a baby girl who would have celebrated her second birthday on Friday, was reportedly discovered in a bucket of water at the house where she lived with her mother and grandmother in the village.  The circumstances into how the child died have raised suspicion by Ladyville Police, who are also investigating a fire on Tuesday night that they label as “Arson” that destroyed the home where the child’s father, 32 year old Kevin Burgess, lived.  Reporter Marion Ali has the story.

MARION ALI

News Reporter

Love FM

“This heartbroken grandmother, overcome by the sudden loss of her grandchild who would have turned two years old on Friday, is left asking more questions than the police can answer at this point in time, as she wraps her thoughts around losing her beloved grand-daughter.” 

CAROLYN QUILTER

Paternal Grandmother of deceased

“She doesn’t deserve…I don’t know what happened to her but she doesn’t deserve; she’s just a child, she doesn’t deserve it…not her – she didn’t even had a chance at life.”

MARION ALI

News Reporter

Love FM

“Carolyn Quilter was at the Ladyville Police Station, awaiting the processing of her son, who is facing charges of Damage to Property for an incident that occurred at the house of his ex-common-law wife.  Our camera captured him being escorted in the police vehicle to Belize City to face that charge.  According to his mother, he is also accused of kidnapping his baby daughter just prior to the discovery of her body in a bucket of water at the mother’s home.”

“The child was found at their house, all this time that they were looking for the baby, the baby was at their house at the mother’s house – they found the baby there.  All this time they had my son locked up saying that he kidnapped his own child, they told Police that the child was found in a bucket.”

INSPECTOR FITZROY YEARWOOD

Police Press Officer

Belize Police Department

“She was left in the custody of an aunt.  Apparently, the aunt left from home to come to the station; when she realized that the child went missing sometime around news time yesterday, she called her mother and asked her mother to inform her (the baby’s mother) that the child went missing, that is what she has alleged.  The Police said they immediately began a search, they began to search for that child and the grandmother claimed that sometime around midnight she discovered the body of the child in the bucket.”

MARION ALI

News Reporter

Love FM

“Police Press Officer, Inspector Fitzroy Yearwood, told us that police that based on allegations that Kevin Burgess had kidnapped his little girl, they conducted a search at the residence, but they did not find anything incriminating.  As it is, Burgess’s house was destroyed by fire the night before in what police strongly believe was arson.”

INSPECTOR FITZROY YEARWOOD

Police Press Officer

Belize Police Department

“Kevin Burgess made a report on Tuesday that his house was set on fire allegedly by his ex common law, she was detained in connection with that.  Likewise, Deidra Pratt’s mother made the report that he apparently broke two louvers at her home; he was detained last night by Police in connection with damage to property report where he was charged.  The twist to this thing is that we have a one year and eleven month old child who would have celebrated her birthday tomorrow, her second year – apparently lost her life and they are alleging that it is as a result of a drowning.”

MARION ALI

News Reporter

Love FM

“Kevin Burgess had had an unstable relationship with the baby’s mother, twenty-four year old Deidra Pratt, and the two separated some time ago.  When his house was destroyed on Tuesday, he was notably dazed by what had happened.  He alleges that Pratt had just threatened him minutes earlier.”

KEVIN BURGESS

Father of the deceased

“I believe she did it because she threatened me before and she is always threatened me about it but I said she was just talking because she would never do a thing like that – I didn’t expect that this was what she was going to do.  The last time she threatened me was last night – I was buying gas and she came around me but I didn’t pay her any mind and she left and said, ‘watch what I’m going to do’, and she rode off but I took it lightly – ten minutes later my house is on fire.  I know it’s her – when I was heading home I saw her riding her bike back to her mother’s house but she didn’t even look in my direction.  Well, I have my parents here and I will stay with them and try to rebuild my house.”

MARION ALI

News Reporter

Love FM

“Whether little Kaylee actually drowned or was the victim of a far more sinister occurrence caught in the middle of a turbulent break-up will be revealed when the post mortem is conducted on Friday.  Until then, the police have already drawn a preliminary conclusion.”

INSPECTOR FITZROY YEARWOOD

Police Press Officer

Belize Police Department

“We have made it plain to both parties involved, both the father and the mother that we suspect foul play in the death of the child.”

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