South man killed for car

PREPARATIONS for the formal launch by Prime Minister Patrick Manning yesterday of a counselling centre for victims of crime in San Fernando were turned upside down after a member of the church that co-sponsored the project, was brutally murdered between Monday night and yesterday morning. Carl Stone, 60, an avid member of the Full Gospel Open Bible Church on Ruth Avenue, was shot through the head and robbed of his vehicle. Stone, 60, was the manager of the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) office Mt Moriah Road, San Fernando. According to police, motive for the murder was robbery.

Stone, of St Andrews Avenue in Cocoyea Village, San Fernando, was last seen alive Monday night. Found with a single bullet wound to the head, Stone’s body was dumped at the side of Papourie Road, Duncan Village, La Romaine. He was robbed of his white Bluebird car — PBJ 1000. Police said Stone left the Open Bible Church, at Ruth Avenue, San Fernando, sometime on Monday night in his car. He visited a female church member at her home in Papourie Road, according to the report, where he held discussions with her about the programme for the centre’s launch yesterday.

The report stated that Stone left the woman’s house around 10 pm. Preliminary investigations revealed that Stone was ambushed by his killers while walking towards his car, that was parked in front of the woman’s house. The killers shot Stone point blank range. The bullet struck him in the upper jaw and was lodged in his head. The men then sped off with Stone’s car. Police found Stone’s empty wallet and cellular phone in a drain next to the body. Stone’s body laid at the side of the road opposite the woman’s house until 12.30 am yesterday, when villager Adika Nicholas noticed it while walking along the road. Nicholas told Newsday yesterday that he immediately told his mother, who called the police.

When Newsday visited the family yesterday, his wife, Doreen, a teacher at Fifth Company Baptist Primary School, was being comforted by neighbours and relatives. When Stone did not return home Monday night, his sons, Denison and Anson, went in search of him at the San Fernando General Hospital and the San Fernando Police Station. Denison was making a missing persons report at the Mon Repos Police Station yesterday morning, when he was  told about the discovery of a man’s body. Denison was taken to the scene of the murder where he identified his father’s body. A party of detectives, headed by Snr Supt Nazir Mohammed, ASP Eldwin Noel and ASP Ruthven Paul, visited the scene. Up to late yesterday, Stone’s vehicle was not recovered. Homicide Bureau is continuing investigations.