Thuggery as a possible motive for attacks on foreigners to the island of Tobago—including the recent murder of German couple, Herbertus, 71, and his wife, Birgid Keil, 74, who were brutally chopped to death along Minister’s Bay in Bacolet—may not be ruled out as police continue their investigations. The couple were murdered a stone’s throw away from their residence of 16 years at Bacolet Crescent, last week Saturday.
The Sunday Guardian returned to the Bacolet area yesterday and received information, from undisclosed sources, that foreigners who are interested in purchasing land and property in remote and residential areas in the sister isle are asked to make a down payment of ten per cent of the value and are required to make the full payment within a stipulated time period.
Sources believe that they are then forced to leave the country by one means or another before the time period is up, so that they lose their down payment. They are often threatened, attacked or in some cases murdered. When told about the information the Sunday Guardian received from sources, ACP Simon Lendore of Homicide said he could not comment directly on this particular motive. He assured that all information and/or leads will be investigated.
Lendore, during an interview yesterday, assured that investigators were pursuing every lead. He said several statements were already recorded. He, however, added that there were improvements to be made with respect to the hotline numbers 635-1649 or 639-2515. A $100,000. Reward is being offered for information which can lead to an arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for the murder of the elderly couple.
Sunday Guardian understands that relatives of the murdered couple are currently in the country and seeking to have independent autopsies done on the bodies. Lendore, however, said he was unable to make any comment on that latest development.
