DENVER (KDVR) — A former Denver-based real estate developer was found dead in his yard at a luxury Belize community over the weekend in a shooting that police say could have been a hit job related to other homicides and a fraud investigation.
Boris Mannsfeld was found shot to death Friday night at The Villas at Cocoplum, a luxury residential community on the Caribbean country’s southeastern coast, Belizean media outlet Breaking Belize News first reported Saturday morning. Mannsfeld spent 10 years as a developer in Denver before moving to Belize and starting Boris Mannsfeld and Associates in 2010, according to his profile on the company website.
The Villas at Cocoplum was Mannsfeld’s own development project, according to his profile.
Breaking Belize News shared video with FOX31 of the country’s Commissioner of Police in a press briefing Monday detailing where they’re at in the investigation, including a person of interest in custody that may link Mannsfeld’s death to another homicide and a multi-million-dollar fraud investigation.
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“The shooting of Boris Mannsfeld has all indications of a hit.”
Belize Commissioner of Police Chester Williams on Monday told local journalists that investigators do think Mannsfeld’s death may have been planned.
“The shooting of Boris Mannsfeld has all indications of a hit,” Williams said in the briefing. “He was in his yard when, seemingly, he was approached by whoever the gunman or gunmen are, and he was shot once in the head behind the neck.”
Williams said they do not know much more, but several leads in the investigation have potentially connected Mannsfeld’s death to more deaths.
For one, a man who Williams said was an associate of Mannsfeld, Frik de Meyere, is in custody. According to his LinkedIn profile, de Meyere was Mannsfeld and Associate’s general manager for 12 years until last year.
Previous homicides, fraud investigation
Breaking Belize News previously reported that Mannsfeld’s death raised questions about two of his former associates, Ricardo Borja and Darren Taylor, killed in 2023 and 2024. Williams in the press briefing responded to journalists’ questions about any connections to their deaths.
Mannsfeld a month before his death had sent an email about a “massive fraud case,” according to BBN, that involved millions in stolen assets and a $3.9 million lawsuit against a former associate. Borja before his 2023 death claimed de Meyere was the mastermind of a land fraud scheme; Borja was reportedly killed just before he was supposed to meet Belizean authorities to divulge evidence of de Meyere’s involvement, according to Belizean newspaper Amandala.
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Now, at the Monday press briefing, Williams said they are not ruling out a potential connection between Mannsfeld and Borja’s death. they are reviewing Mannsfeld’s business dealings and the contents of that January email.
When asked if they have a connection, Williams said, “At this time we cannot say that, but we are not ruling it out.
“We have to first establish a motive in order for us to make a definitive connection,” he said. “But, it would not be wrong for one to assume there may be some connection there, and we’re looking at that possibility.”
BBN also reported Mannsfeld was involved in civil legal disputes and business malpractice allegations, but Williams declined to comment on those since they are civil and not criminal matters.
Williams stressed de Meyere is just a person of interest so far, and they are only interviewing him. He has not been charged with any crimes.
FOX31 has reached out to the Belize Police Department about a police report or any other information about Mannsfeld’s death but has not heard back yet.
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