Tobago has recorded its third murder in ten days following the death of another taxi driver. Police said 60-year-old Curtis James, of James Estate, Concordia, was found dead in one of the bedrooms of his home by his nine-year old granddaughter shortly after 5 pm on Saturday. They said his Toyota Noah was found abandoned and burnt in the Orange Hill area by a passerby who contacted the police.
A police source said James might have been strangled as there were marks of violence around his neck. The investigators believe robbery could have been the motive because the victim’s house was ransacked and cash and valuables stolen. James was last seen alive on Friday afternoon.
This is the second taxi driver to be killed in Tobago in the last ten days. The first was 43- year old Dain Kent of Speyside. He was found with a gunshot wound to the head in the Mt Grace area. His Toyota Noah vehicle was also discovered abandoned and burnt a short distance from where his body was found. James’s relatives they were shocked by the incident as Curtis was a pleasant and hardworking individual. They said there have been a spate of housebreaking incidents in the area over the past months.
This brings Tobago’s murder toll to five for 2014. The Tobago Homicide Bureau is continuing investigations.