Cab driver, 57-year-old Norris Flowers, was well known both in Corozal Town, and in his hometown of Libertad. That's because before he was a taxi man, he was a cop, and even though he traded his badge and gun for a cab, his customers knew him to always be friendly and reasonable.
But last night around 6:00, he picked up a passenger in the parking lot of the Corozal Venus Bus Line Taxi Drivers Union, and that was the last time he was seen alive. Flowers' body was later found in a deserted area of town, his car abandoned in a cane field behind the ITVET.
It's a tragic end for a man who was always smiling and dancing, and though his family suspects what the motive may be, they're still at a loss as to why someone would kill him.
Courtney Menzies travelled north and spoke with them today. Here is that story.
57-year-old Norris Flowers was an ex-cop turned cabbie but last night, he picked up his last passenger - and that man is being sought in connection with Flowers' murder.
Flowers was reportedly shot inside and dumped here, in this deserted area of the Dominguez Layout. His vehicle, a grey Toyota Corolla was then stolen, along with some other personal belongings.
And while police have since recovered the car, Flowers' killer is still on the run, and his murder has left his 6 children deep in grief.
Rashawn Nunez, Daughter of Deceased
"Hurts, it's a great loss. My dad was everything to us. I call him my mommy daddy. We grow up with my dad, when my dad was separated, my dad stood there and took care of us. He became that mother and father role. I used to tell my kids that I could call my dad right now and tell him I need a piece of underwear and my dad would go and buy it for me because he raised me like my mom that he know my size. His grandkids worse, what he didn't do for us, he did it more for his grandkids, they were his all. We couldn't even beat our own kids or scold our kids when we're around him, grandpa to the rescue. He did everything, my dad's life was for us and for his grandkids."
And Nunez doesn't believe this was a random crime. While reports say that Flowers had picked up a passenger at the taxi stand near the terminal, she told us there's no way her father would be took a job after 6:00, unless it was someone he knew well.
Rashawn Nunez, Daughter of Deceased
"My dad is an ex police officer and then after retiring from the police he joined and worked for many years with terminal management in Corozal so he's well known. After retiring from terminal management, he bought a taxi and was running taxi so everybody know my dad because his price was very low, if the price was $7 and you had $4, he would take you. The thing is, we know it's not like him with what happened last night because my dad lives with my little sister and three of his grandsons, his kids and his grandkids is everything for him. At 6 o'clock in the evening, that would be his breakeven time, he won't be running any other taxi unless it would be someone that calls him, he knows or is very familiar with. So I strongly believe whosoever, from what we heard also it was someone he picked up, we know that it's someone that he knows because after hours my dad won't take anybody. Myself, I live in Orange Walk and if I'm in Corozal partying after hours and I say, daddy take me home to Libertad, my dad will look at me and say, no, you can stay here with me. He was lured and the area where his body was found, my dad, not even during the day, he would be in the area, he even ban us from being in that area during the day, he wouldn't traverse that area."
And she also believes that the motive is robbery since his killer stole almost every single piece of jewelry he wore - except one.
Rashawn Nunez, Daughter of Deceased
"The car, they left him there, after they shot my dad, they left him there to die, they took his wallet, his chain and his bracelet that he had on was stolen, his phone, and his watch. The only thing that he was left with on his body was one ring and I believe they didn't take that because it would have taken time to take it off because my dad is a very hefty man, a big man, I call him my grizzly bear, that's to tell you how big he was. It's kind of tight on his hand so it would have taken time to take off so I think that's the only reason that one jewelry was left on his body."
And now, for Flowers' five daughters and only son, they will have to learn to live without their protector and nurturer, and the man they considered the life of any party.
Rashawn Nunez, Daughter of Deceased
"Very friendly, everybody that knows my dad knows that he would be smiling, laughing, and he loves to dance. You put on music, my dad would be dancing for you. And the thing about it, his body size, nobody would have believed he would have whined down to the ground and come back up. That was him, the life of the party. He didn't like no kind of problem, if me and one of my siblings were at it, he would have been the one to call, he would drive all the way where we were and put us back together to talk and solve that problem. My dad wasn't a troublemaker or anything, he was… he was everything."
Flowers also leaves behind 13 grandchildren and his common-law wife.
Police are currently looking for one named suspect.
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