The murder toll increased by two yesterday, pushing it to 79 for the year, with the discovery of the semi-nude, decomposing body of an unidentified woman at the side of the road and a man who was killed in Sangre Grande. Around 7 am yesterday residents of Cameron Hill, Petit Valley, found the body of the woman in an empty lot. Police believe she was in her late teens. Her hands and feet were tied. The woman, of African descent, is believed to be a missing woman who was last seen on Friday. Police said because of the state of the body a positive identification could not be made. Sgt Lawrence of the Homicide Bureau is continuing investigations.
In the other killing, Ryan Ramoutar died at the Sangre Grande District Hospital shortly after being taken there. Police said around 7 am Ramoutar, of Plum Mitan Road, Sangre Grande, was found by a gardener with a gunshot wound. Police say they have no motive for the killing. After two separate killings at the weekend, the father of Adewole “Wolf” Roberts-Ashby, Kelvin Ashby, said his 37-year-old son was gunned down two days after he was released on bail. Ashby, who spoke to the media outside the Forensic Science Centre, St James, yesterday, said his son was a fighter but not a killer who left his Store Drive, Petit Valley, home because of threats he was receiving. Roberts-Ashby’s sister, Osanna Ashby, said she returned to the country for Carnival around noon on Friday and less than 12 hours later her brother was killed. Roberts-Ashby was shot dead while liming at Duval Avenue, near Mercer Road, Diego Martin, around 9.45 pm on Friday. Police said he was known to be involved in criminal activity and have classified his killing as gang-related.
Meanwhile, the cousin of slain teen, Jeremy Thomas, who was shot dead at a bar on Southern Main Road, Curepe, on Sunday said Thomas had mixed with the wrong crowd. Natalie Edwards said Thomas had recently been employed as a security guard and was a very outgoing person who had got himself in trouble with the law in the past. Police reports are that Thomas, 19, of Bamboo Trace, Tunapuna, was at the bar around 3.30 am with his cousin, Anthony Lewis, when they got into an argument with a man who left and returned with a gun and shot Thomas in the chest and Lewis in the leg. The man who was found dead last Thursday at Mission Road, San Juan, has been identified as Wasyin James, 24, of Nichollsville, San Juan. He had a single stab wound to the neck.