American woman “killed by conch shell during fight after husband crashes golf cart into bar” in Belize

An American woman was allegedly killed by a conch shell during a fight after her husband crashed his golf cart into a bar in Belize.

Jennifer Lynn Griffith, 46, was in the passenger seat of the golf cart driven by her husband Maynor René Ancona, 41, when it crashed into the El Norte bar in the city of San Pedro on Saturday night. Channel 5 Belize reports.

This allegedly led to a fight between the couple and bar employees, which escalated when one person “threw a conch shell at Griffith and hit him in the head.”

She was taken to the hospital, but she refused to be examined by doctors and was discharged. When the next day she started having a headache again, she returned to the hospital, where she died.

It is not known if she died from injuries sustained in the reported golf cart accident or from the conch shell that allegedly hit her. She has ordered a post-mortem examination.

At a news conference on Monday, local Police Commissioner Chester Williams said: “My understanding is that prior to the fight, the lady was in a golf cart with her husband, and she crashed into a building with the golf cart during which she may have also hit her head. She had a concussion.

She added that during the ensuing altercation, she was “stoned with a conch shell, which also caused injuries to her head,” after which police took her to hospital, where she refused medical treatment.

“At this time, we cannot say what the cause of death is. Whether he died as a result of the conch shell or as a result of the accident,” he said.

Commissioner Williams also said he was not sure if the person who had thrown the conch was an employee of the bar, only saying it was one of those involved in the fight.

He added that before his death, Griffith had indicated that he did not want to press charges against the others involved in the fight.

But Williams said they will be charged “at least with disorderly conduct.”