BODY COUNT AT 403 AND RISINGBy NEWSDAY REPORTERS Tuesday, September 29 2009
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Kellon 'Zongo' Howard ...
THE bloodshed in this country continues unabated with the body count speeding past 400. On Saturday the count was 398. But a murder on Sunday, three murders yesterday and the discovery of a body in a shallow grave in Valencia, have pushed the total to 403 murders.
Only last week, National Security Minister Martin Joseph, speaking during the Budget debate in the Senate, expressed his confidence that the crime situation would be arrested and that the country would not reach the overall record of 546 murders, in 2008.
Yesterday’s murder victims have been identified as Kellon “Zongo” Howard, 22, of Bagatelle, Diego Martin and Michael “Boy Boy” Mader, 21, of “The Harpe”, Oxford Street in Port-of-Spain.
The following is a list in chronological order of when TT moved from 398 murders to 403.
Murder 399 — Man beaten to death with shovel
A 76-year-old caretaker of the Danny Ali Estate in Nariva Road, Manzanilla was struck on the head with a shovel during an argument at a popular bar in Manzanilla. The caretaker, identified as Hamilton Fletcher of Gajadhar Road, Sangre Chiquito, later died at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. Police have classified the incident as a murder.
According to a police report, at about 9 pm Fletcher was liming at Doggie’s bar when he and another man had an argument. The man armed himself with a shovel and struck Fletcher on the head before running off.
Fletcher was taken to the Sangre Grande District Hospital where he was treated and transferred to the PoSGH where he succumbed to his injury. No arrest has been made.
Murder 400 — Man shot in the head
According to police, at about 10.45 am yesterday at North West Drive, Patna Village, Kellon “Zongo” Howard was shot in the head at point blank range while talking to a female friend.
According to police, Howard was attacked by another man while he (Howard) was speaking to a woman.
Howard’s attacker shot him at point blank range in the head before running off. Howard slumped to the ground where he died. His body was not removed from the scene until four hours after.
An investigating officer claimed that they believed that Howard’s murder was a reprisal for last Wednesday’s murder of Clifford Flanders, 25, who was killed at a house at North West Drive.
No arrest has been made.
Murder 401 — Suspected killer gunned down
Shortly before 12 noon yesterday, according to police, Michael Mader was walking through an alley off Oxford Street, between Observatory and Charlotte Streets in Port-of-Spain when a man walked up to him and opened fire.
Mader who was shot several times about the body, was taken to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where he died while receiving emergency medical treatment. Police said Mader was well-known to them and in fact was wanted in connection with several murders.
No arrest has been made.
Murder 402 — Shot in head, dumped in rice field
Police yesterday appealed to the public for assistance in identifying the body of a man found yesterday in a shallow grave in Carlsen Field, Freeport with a gunshot wound to the head.
According to police, at about 2.30 pm, workers walking along the main road near National Flour Mills’ rice mill discovered the body in a bushy area. There was a gunshot wound to the head. Officers of the Freeport Police Station and Homicide Bureau (South) responded and secured the area.
The body is that of a man of African descent who was found only in a plaid boxer shorts.
He was described as being slim built and between 38 and 45 years of age. Anyone with information can contact the nearest police station or Freeport Police Station at 673-0026.
Murder 403 — Body found in shallow grave
Eastern Division police discovered the body of a man in a shallow grave in the Valencia forests three days after a man confessed to murder and gave police directions to where he buried the victim.
Yesterday a party of officers led by ASP Johnny Abraham and including Insp Stanley Ramdeen and members of the Eastern Division Task Force headed by Sgt Awong Cole and including Cpls Nicholas Vialva and Kerry Garcia trekked several miles into the forest where they found the grave where the body of Rondel Reid alias “Half-ah-Man” was found. He was last seen alive on September 17. He lived at Palm Trace , Valencia with his common-law wife and one child.
On Friday, a 23-year-old man confessed to killing Reid and gave police directions as to where the body was buried.
Police said Reid’s skull was cracked in two and his left hand was severed. There were also multiple chops to his chest and stomach. Police have since issued warrants for the arrest of other suspects involved.
