Harmless ‘Africa’ stabbed to death in Point Fortin

THE country’s sixth murder victim for 2005 is Anthony Blair, 44, of Point Fortin, who was stabbed to death Monday night in Point Fortin. Described by police and villagers of Eagle Hall Road, Newlands Village, as a man of exemplary character who “hustled ten-days” to earn a living, Blair was stabbed once in the chest while walking through Techier Village, not far from his home. Blair was stabbed to death by an unknown assailant, and police said they could not “make head nor tail” about the killing. Blair, affectionately called “Africa,” was  walking along Techier Village Main Road in the vicinity of the Point Fortin Health Centre, when he was stabbed. His body was found on the road close to the Point Fortin Health Centre about 100 feet from where he lived.

Point Fortin police received an anonymous phone call yesterday morning about a body lying at the side of the road. Snr Supt Nimrod of the South Western Division, ASP Mohammed, and Insps Wells, Harry and Campbell, visited the scene. District Medical Officer Dr Carmona examined the body and ordered its removal to the Forensic Sciences Centre in Port-of- Spain for an autopsy. Up to late yesterday, police investigators were clueless about how Blair was stabbed, but shocked villagers spoke  in glowing terms about Blair who lived a quiet life with his common-law wife, Angela Thomas, in a galvanize shack in a bushy area at Eagles Hall Road. Thomas, 53, was not at home when Newsday visited, but Thomas’ daughter Lystra, 26, who resides in Gonsalves Village, said Blair was not capable of harming anyone.

“Africa, would not do anybody anything. He does not have any bad mind,” Lystra said.  Lystra said that Blair, who “hustled” work with the Unemployment Relief Programme, was the sole bread winner. “He used to hustle ten days to try to make a living,” Lystra told Newsday. “My mother bawled and cried the entire night,” she added. Cpl Straker of the Point Fortin Police Station is  investigating the murder.