I think part of it has to do with the conclusion many of us jump to when someone refuses to submit themselves to a trial in a court of law. In the US we like to believe our system is just, or at least mostly just, and therefore anyone who is accused of a crime and skips out must be admitting guilt through their actions. People then tend to project this bias to people who skip court in societies with less just courts like Belize.
To be honest, even in this country any unattractive minority that is accused of a crime may want to consider running from the law and skipping the country because for them our courts are less than just and more likely to convict them of that crime and give them a sentence worse than the average.
He was not accused of a crime! The police wanted to question him as a "person of interest" - big difference!
Almost every news story I saw report on this when it broke last week reported it incorrectly in the headlines as him being "wanted" - it's a shame that journalism can get away with being so sloppy sometimes.
> He was not accused of a crime! The police wanted to question him as a "person of interest" - big difference!
It's a procedural difference, but "person of interest" is really just a bureaucratic euphemism for "suspect we don't officially designate as a suspect yet".
> However, running from the law and how he's been acting is not in accordance with someone who's innocent - no?
What law? You mean the corrupt "legal" system there? Wouldn't most innocent people who are afraid of corrupt police act in the same way? (i guess that implies his innocence then!)
Furthermore, if you believe he is actually insane/paranoid then of course he's going to believe they're out to get him and will try to avoid capture, whether or not he's guilty.
To be honest, even in this country any unattractive minority that is accused of a crime may want to consider running from the law and skipping the country because for them our courts are less than just and more likely to convict them of that crime and give them a sentence worse than the average.