Cops stumped over hunter’s killing

MYSTERY surrounds the shooting death of Seveson Guerra, 20, a hunter, of Ecclesville, Rio Claro. Guerra was found face down on a heap of freshly-fallen leaves in the Rio Claro Forest on Monday. A party of policemen who found the body off Bangladesh Village said Guerra's body bore a single gunshot wound to the left side of the face. Homicide detectives up to late yesterday could not pinpoint a motive for the killing, but kept two men in custody at the Rio Claro Police Station. According to a police report, it was around midday on Friday when Guerra, of Cardinez Street, went into the Rio Claro forest to hunt. He was accompanied by two men, one of them a 34-year-old relative.

Police said Guerra had left the relative and the other man to catch an animal on Saturday evening. The report stated that a gunshot was heard, and when the two called out to Guerra, he failed to respond. According to the report, the relative and the other man searched for Guerra, but when they did not find him, they came out of the forest. On Sunday night, the two went to the Rio Claro Police Station, accompanied by Guerra's father, Diego Cardinez, 65. A party of police officers using sniffer dogs ventured into the forest on Monday morning to search for Guerra. Police said yesterday that a shotgun was found near Guerra's body.

Guerra's body was removed to the Forensic Sciences Centre, Port-of-Spain, where an autopsy was expected to be performed yesterday. Speaking with Newsday yesterday, Cardinez said he prayed to God for a “revelation” to find out how his son was killed. “I really don’t know what happened. All I know is that he went to hunt with people he always goes with.” Guerra was the last of 13 children born to Cardinez and mother, Rose, 61.