Man’s bullet-riddled body found in drain

IN what is believed to be the first murder of the long Carnival weekend, the bullet-riddled body of an unidentified man was found in a drain in Mt D’Or Road, Champs Fleurs, early yesterday morning.

Investigators made it clear to Newsday that this murder did not seem to be Carnival related, but rather gang or drug-related. Residents of Mt D’Or Road, Champs Fleurs reported hearing loud explosions on Saturday night. When the explosions were heard, a party was in progress in the area. Around 6 am, a resident of the area whom police did not want identified, awoke from sleep and went to the front of his home. He later discovered the body of a man lying on its side in a drain that runs along the front of his home.

A team of officers co-ordinated by ACP (East) Nazamul Hosein, led by ASP Errol Dillon and including Insp Philbert Pierre, Ag Insp Michael Modeste, Sgt Don Lezama and Cpl Aldwin Collins later visited the scene. Three spent nine-millimetre shells were recovered near the body. DMO, Dr Althea Holder arrived shortly and examined the body, which bore four gunshots to the chest, two in the back, two in the neck and a gunshot to the right thigh. Police are now seeking assistance from the public to identify the man who has been described as slim-built, brown-skinned and five-feet, seven inches in height. The body was found clad in a grey three-quarter pants, black sleeveless jersey and a pair of white Nike Jordan sneakers. His fingerprints have since been taken by police who intend to compare them to prints in their Fingerprint Data Base in the hope that a positive match can be made. The body is now at the Port-of-Spain mortuary. Police say that a positive identification has to be made on the body before an autopsy can be carried out at the Forensic Sciences Centre. Up to late yesterday, no arrests had been made and Cpl Collins of St Joseph CID is continuing investigations. This is the 32nd murder recorded for the year.