Trinidad: Kidnapped man found dead after $15,000 ransom paid

Trinidad and Tobago: The dead body of a 34-year-old man, who was reported kidnapped the day before, was found by police officials in a garden in Guanapo, Arima, Trinidad on the morning of Monday. Police said that they have launched an investigation into this discovery and confirmed that the victim was killed after $15,000 ransom was paid.  

It was reported that the victim’s KIA Sportage was later found abandoned in a forested area in Trinidad’s Sangre Grande.  

According to police reports, around 10 25 am on Monday, officers who were on patrol received a report of a suspected homicide which occurred at Heights of Guanapo. Upon arrival at the scene, they found the motionless body of a man lying on his back in bushes and he was later identified as Kerry Von Adams, a resident of Old Piarco Road, Red Hill, D’Abadie.  

Kidnapping and ransom demands 

Following the body was found, the preliminary investigations revealed that on Sunday, a report of the victim being kidnapped had been made by a relative at the Maloney Police Station. The report claimed that around 12 45 am, the relative received a call from Adams claiming that he urgently needs $15,000 in cash.  

The relative suspected something wrong which is why she called back only for an unknown man to answer and tell her to call again when she had arranged the money.  

According to the information, the relative retrieved the cash from her residence and contacted the same number following which the unknown male asked her to drive to Kennel Street, Arima however as she was unfamiliar with the area, she passed through Cocorite Road while being on the call. 

The man then directed her to drive slowly and describe the street names from where she was passing. Eventually, she threw the bag fill of cash out of her vehicle when asked. The relative was then told to pick up her brother from Arima Boys’ RC School however he wasn’t there and further calls to his phone remained unanswered.  

Body Found by Farmer, SUV Found in Sangre Grande 

Around 9:50 a.m. the next day, a farmer visiting his garden at the Heights of Guanapo made the grim discovery and alerted police. 

Later that evening, around 8:00 p.m., acting on information from an informant, officers from the Sangre Grande Police Station proceeded to a forested area in McCauley, Melajo, Sangre Grande, where they discovered a dark grey KIA Sportage bearing registration number PDY 3747 which belonged to the deceased. Investigations into the tragic incident are continuing, said the police.