Body left unattended for 5 hours on roadside

THE BODY of a murder victim was left unattended for more than five hours yesterday because the police were unable to get a District Medical Officer (DMO) to visit the scene. From 12.45 am to 6.15 am, the body of Adrian Williams, a 21-year-old unemployed Laventille man, was left lying at the side of the road at Espinet Street, Laventille, as police officers made futile attempts to locate a DMO. Finally, at around 6.15 am, the body was viewed by Dr Ruby Lue Chee Lip and ordered removed to the Forensic Science Centre.

Disgruntled police officers told Sunday Newsday it is not the first time that they have experienced difficulties in locating a DMO. They feel that the situation needs to be addressed urgently. Williams was gunned down while he was on his way to purchase a cigarette at a nearby shop early yesterday morning. At around 12.45 am yesterday, Williams, of Picketville Road, left his home telling a relative that he was going to purchase a cigarette. Several loud explosions were heard at Espinet Street and Williams was seen lying in a pool of blood. Officers from the Besson Street Police Station were alerted. At the Trou Macaque home of Carlene Arthur, the victim’s mother, relatives gathered to express condolences. Arthur, a mother of four, said she is convinced her son’s death was a case of mistaken identity.

She insisted that her son was not a gang member, had no enemies and was not involved in any illicit activities. She said he was a gifted person and was able to fix anything from small appliances to any electrical work. He was formerly employed with the Cable Company of Trinidad and Tobago (CCTT). Williams lived alone and his home was surrounded with flowers he planted himself, Arthur told Sunday Newsday. She is calling on the police to find the person or persons responsible for Williams’ murder and bring them to justice. Arthur expressed concern over the failure by the police to locate a DMO which resulted in her son’s body being left unattended. for more than five hours. Investigations are continuing.