260th murder victim for 2004

MERE hours before 2004 came to a close an East Dry River, Laventille man made it a historic 260th murder victim for the year. According to reports around 7.10 am yesterday residents at the corner of  Lance and Jubilee Street, Gonzales, heard several loud explosions and when they investigated they found the lifeless body of  Ronald Mohammed, 20, lying in a pool of  blood. His head and hands were partially severed from his body with several gunshot wounds to other parts.

When Newsday visited his St John Street, East Dry River home, his frightened relatives refused to say much, except that he was preparing to go to the Treasury with his girlfriend to change an Unemployment Relief Programme cheque when he got a telephone call. He informed the girlfriend that he will be back soon.Residents heard several shots soon after and when they responded they found the body of Mohammed. No motive was given for the murder. In unrelated circumstances, police are still trying to identify the body of a man of East Indian descent found on Thursday evening on the Carapo Main Road, Centeno. The barefooted body, clad in a khaki pants and checkered shirt, bore a single bullet wound to the head. The greying man was about five feet, five inches tall and appears to be in his early 50s. TT recorded 229 murders at the end of 2003.