Murder in the cemetery

MOMENTS after returning from the police station where he reported his son missing yesterday morning, an Oropouche father of 11 discovered his son’s body in the Oropouche public cemetery — a stone’s throw away from their family home. Noel Thomas, 53, was in shock when Newsday visited his home yesterday, while police could be seen at the nearby cemetery searching for clues near to where Thomas stumbled on the body of his 17-year-old son, Elias. The teen’s head had been bashed and there were several stab wounds to his back. The officers recovered a bloodstained hammer and ice-pick in bushes near where the body was found. The items are to be tested for fingerprints.

Thomas was returning from the Oropouche Police Post around 7.45 am, when he saw a body lying in the cemetery among several tombstones. He went to take a closer look and almost collapsed when he realised the body was that of the son he had just reported missing. DMO Dr Furlonge viewed the body, which was clad in a plaid shirt and blue jeans, and ordered it removed to the Forensic Science Centre, Federation Park. Up to late yesterday, arrangements were being made for an autopsy. Visiting the scene were Snr Supt Brooks, Supt Fitzroy Fredericks (South Homicide Bureau), Ag Insp Wells, Sgt Rampersad and Sgt Jimmy Palloo. “Oh God, why this thing happen to my son. He did not do anybody wrong. He just wanted to help his family,” Hafeeza Ali, 41, the dead teen’s mother wailed.

Thomas was a Form Five student of Fyzabad Composite School who worked part time at a supermarket near his home. He returned home from school around 3.15 pm on Tuesday, changed out of his school uniform and left for work at the supermarket. Around 8 pm, Elias left his job saying he was going to get photocopies of notes he took for studies, since he was preparing to sit the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) exam in June. He never returned home that night. His worried father went to the police post yesterday morning to make a missing persons report. “My son did not stand for any kind of nonsense, and it has to be that Elias saw some wrongdoing by someone whom he probably knew, so that person wanted to get rid of him — shut him up permanently,” Thomas said. “I hope justice will prevail, because my son was an honest boy who worked hard to help me because I am not working.”

The grieving father told Newsday his son worked to help feed the family and ensure that his siblings —three brothers and seven sisters — could go to school. Noel said none of his children were involved in criminal activity and apart from his theory that his son was killed for witnessing a crime, he  could not think of any motive for his son’s murder. Up to late yesterday no arrests had been made and Cpl De Peza of the Oropouche Police Post is leading the investigations.