.....2 more murders in Port-of-Spain

TAXI driver Roger “Skills” Marcellin was shot dead early yesterday morning in one of two murders that occurred in the Port-of-Spain area in less than four hours. 

Marcellin’s killing, described by lawmen as an execution, has since been given a robbery motive because the grey Gallant car he was driving was stolen and had not been recovered up to late yesterday. The other fatal shooting that claimed the life of Kenrick Glasgow, 29, of 23rd Street, Hellyard, Beetham Estate, has been linked to gang warfare, police said.  He was said by the police to be involved in several illegal activities including drugs and robberies. Police sources said Marcellin, 36, of Leon Hill, Belmont, was found dead around 5.45am by PC Neil “Darkie” James, a warrant officer of the Court and Process Branch.  PC James is attached to the Besson Street Police Station. According to the police, residents of Bath Street, East Dry River, heard a single gunshot around 1am yesterday. When PC James went to put his garbage out at an empty plot of land, he stumbled upon Marcellin’s body lying face down.

Marcellin’s hands were tied to the front of his body with a piece of white plastic, which police said PC James had thrown out in the garbage Wednesday. This piece of observation led police to believe Marcellin was killed at the scene. Lawmen said Marcellin, also called Plaits, and father of a 13-year-old son who is abroad, was shot once in the mouth with the bullet exiting through the left side of his head. Police think that he may have picked up passengers who later robbed him of his car. No one was at Marcellin’s home when a Newsday team visited yesterday.  However, his girlfriend, Prudence Abraham, was reached later. Abraham, who is expecting Marcellin’s second child in May, said she knew him for three years and during that time, never knew him to be involved in any illegal activities. She said she last saw Marcellin around lunchtime on Wednesday.  She also described him as a “favourite driver”, who always kept to himself. In Glasgow’s killing, police said around 10.30 pm Wednesday, the victim was on 25th Street, Hellyard, Beetham Estate, when several gunshots rang out.

Glasgow’s body was later found, riddled with bullets on the western side of the road.  Relatives were extremely hostile when the media visited his home yesterday. They offered no comment and chased the media away. In both shootings, a party of officers visited the scene. No arrests had been made up to late yesterday and Sgts Millette and Hudson of the Besson Street Criminal Investigations Department (CID) are continuing investigations into both killings.