wounds to the face and neck, and several of her body parts missing. Her father identified the body as that of Noemi by the blue jeans she was wearing. Unrelated crimes During the height of the Ripper murders, three other girls were killed in similar circumstances, but were ultimately proven to be unrelated to the case. They were: Samantha Gordon (15) - last seen on November 6, 1998, after telling her mother that she was going to visit the old Civic Center with some friends. Two days later, Samantha's nude, bruised body was found floating at sea near Ladyville's Vista Del Mar, with deep stab wounds to the back and knees. In June 1999, four men were charged for her murder and convicted. Karen Cruz (10) - in June 1999, Cruz disappeared from the veranda of her Orange Walk Town home. The day after her disappearance, her corpse was found at a stadium two blocks from her home, with signs of being raped. Initially believed to be a Ripper victim, suspicions were later directed towards her next-door uncle, 38-year-old Antonio Baeza, who was reportedly stalking the girl. He was later charged and convicted in her murder. Rebecca 'Becky' Gilharry (13) - shortly after Blades' disappearance, on February 15, 1999, Becky's body was found near a Mayan archaeological site in Santa Rita Hill in Corozal Town, after being reported missing the previous day. She had been raped and subsequently strangled. Gilharry was last seen in the company of a family friend, 22-year-old Robert Hill, who was later charged and convicted in her killing. Investigation The killings caused widespread panic in the tiny nation, with a national curfew imposed and guards posted at school. In the months following the last murder, several incidents were reported of a man driving a red car and wearing a stocking mask who unsuccessfully attempted to attack and kidnap young girls in Belize City. The assailant was never located. In 2000, pathologist Dr. Mario Estradabran announced a harrowing revelation: prior to being brutally murdered, all of the girls were plied with alcohol and drugs, as well as being tortured. The Ripper had used the same instrument in all five cases, and judging by the precision of the cuts made on the bodies, it is assumed that he either has a medical background or at the very least access to surgical utilities. Authorities also believed that there's a