Belize - Anne Swaney, 39, ABC7 Chicago producer, found murdered, 15 Jan 2016

Police in the border town of Benque Viejo del Carmen were questioning an unidentified Guatemalan national, who was fishing in the area but denied any involvement in her death.

"We currently have him in custody and we will be pursuing an interview for him to give account of himself," Superintendent Daniel Arzu told local TV news.

Swaney was vacationing at the Nabitunich resort in the Cayo district when she was reported missing Thursday.

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Investigators said Friday that they were questioning a man who was seen fishing near the crime scene but that he was not considered a prime suspect at this time. The man, a Guatemalan national, maintains he was just fishing and was not involved in her death, police said.

News of Anne's death brought tears at ABC7, where she was being remembered as a newsroom leader with a penchant for detail and a passion for getting facts straight.

"She was a trailblazer in the digital news space and was one of our first website employees," said John H. Idler, president and general manager of ABC7. "Anne helped us evolve our business and our newsroom, but most importantly, she was a kind person who was always had a smile and a positive attitude."

A local reporter in Belize said Anne's death is quite an embarrassment to the nation.

"Because it is on the fringes of our border with our neighbor in Guatemala it also provides another element that the police have to investigate. Where if the perpetrator came across the border, they will have a difficult time they will have to liaise with their counterparts in Guatemala," said Daniel Ortiz, NEWSBELIZE.

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Police say criminal activity, including armed robbery, mugging and sexual assault, is a significant problem throughout Belize. Robberies and assaults have been reported in resort areas. There has been a noted increase in violent crime targeting tourists since the end of 2013. Criminals often operate in groups and target persons traveling alone.

Cases of sexual assault against female travelers have also be been reported in that district.

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A year after ABC7 executive producer Anne Swaney was murdered while on vacation in Belize, the case remains unsolved...

An avid adventure traveler, Swaney went to Belize in mid-January 2016. The Missouri native loved to ride horses and was making a return visit to an eco-resort and ranch in the Cayo District of western Belize.

"She was really excited to go back. She had met people there previously, she loved horses. This was her type of equine adventure. And she was excited to go back to a place where she felt comfortable going by herself," said Sandi Moleski, a friend and sorority sister...

A year ago, a Guatemalan national near the murder scene was arrested and for a time was a suspect in Swaney's death. However, he was quickly cleared...

Swaney's father died not knowing. His health took a bad turn after she was murdered and he died in February.

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January 20, 2016Swaney is not the only foreigner in recent years to be murdered in Belize.
Earlier this month, Canadian filmmaker Matthiew Klinck was found stabbed to death in the doorway to his home in Spanish Lookout.
In October 2013, in the remote village of Consejo, Lynn Nichiporowich, a 57-year-old Vancouver native, also died as a result of stab wounds.
And in November 2012, the shooting death in Ambergris Caye of retired American builder Gregory Faull sparked the flight of his neighbour, Scottish-born software guru John McAfee.

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Patricia Lynn Nichiporowich, a Legacy

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Patricia Lynn Nichiporowich was brutally murdered during a house invasion in her residence at Consejo Shores on the evening of October 29, 2013. Why, I am afraid we will never know?

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Murder of ABC7 producer Anne Swaney in Belize still unsolved after 2 years

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There are still no suspects, no known motive and no justice in the murder of our executive digital producer. Only the calendar has changed since this day two years ago when Anne was found dead, a day after she went missing from the equestrian resort in Belize where she had been on a horse-riding vacation.

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A year ago in Belize, FBI agent Paul Clark told the I-Team that authorities "believe that people, the public in Belize, may have information about the suspect or suspects that committed this crime." That is still the FBI's position. Now it is backed up by a $20,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of her killer

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