Ladyville Men Remain on Remand in Attempted Murder Case of Lionel Logan

Two Ladyville men accused of involvement in the attempted murder of Lionel Nigel Logan remain on remand tonight after making their first joint court appearance since being charged in the case. Twenty-one-year-old Brandon Christian Villamil and thirty-year-old Ackeem Fernando Ferguson appeared before a Senior Magistrate yesterday where they had hoped to secure bail. However, the court informed the pair that they are not yet eligible for bail consideration at the lower court level, as they have not been on remand for the required ninety-day period.  Both men, who were unrepresented during the hearing, were further remanded to the Belize Central Prison until August 24. The magistrate advised that they may make a formal application for bail when they return to court on that date.  Villamil and Ferguson are jointly charged with attempted murder, use of deadly means of harm, and dangerous harm in connection with a violent attack that occurred in Ladyville on April 11 of this year.  According to police reports, officers responded shortly after nine o’clock that night to reports of a shooting on Henry Street, a dirt road behind Delmart Hardware Store on Perez Road in Ladyville. Upon arrival, police discovered thirty-year-old Lionel Nigel Logan suffering from an apparent gunshot wound as well as a stab wound to his lower back.  Investigators say Logan reported that he had been approached by two men, leading to an altercation during which he was stabbed and then shot. The attackers reportedly fled the scene immediately afterward.  Police have stated that while at the scene, Logan identified Ackeem Ferguson as the individual who shot him. Authorities later obtained a statement from the victim in which he reportedly again identified Ferguson as one of his attackers. Investigators also relied on information gathered from witnesses and video surveillance footage during the course of their investigation.  Ferguson was detained on the night of the incident, while Villamil was later arrested and charged on May 6.