Wednesday, July 14 2010

RAPHAEL WILLIAMS, one of the 13 men accused in the Vindra Naipaul-Coolman kidnapping and murder trial has died. Williams who was added in January 2008 to the list of those charged in the December 19, 2006 disappearance of the central business woman, died at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope yesterday from complications due to an ongoing battle with sickle-cell anemia.

Williams was held on a separate inquiry from the other accused. The charges stemmed from an inquiry into Naipaul-Coolman’s disappearance in December 2006 and it is believed she was murdered between that time and May 12, 2007. Initially, a $3 million ransom was demanded for her safe return. Although a part was paid, she was never found.

This leaves twelve men to face the charges including Joel Fraser, also called “Ninja”, 25, Allan “Scanny”Martins of Caroni, Shervon “Buffy” Peters, 22, his twin brother Devon Peters, Earl “Bobo” Trimmingham, 26, his younger brother Marlon “Madman” Trimmingham, 25, Ronald “Twenty-two” Armstrong 29, Keida Garcia, 24, Antonio “Hedges” Charles, 30, Lyndon “Iron” James, Dwayne Gloster, and Jameel “Wasa” Garcia, all of Upper La Puerta Avenue, Diego Martin.