Trinidad: Manhunt for alleged con-artist tied to triple murder and vehicle sale scam

Trinidad and Tobago: The police officials in Trinidad and Tobago are investigating a disturbing connection between three recent homicides across the island, all of which are reportedly connected to one man.  

Police believes that Justin Baird is the man behind these crimes, and he is allegedly a con-artist and person of interest in several vehicle sale-related robberies as well as killings.  

The latest victim, 33-year-old Scot Timala Rambaran, who was a procurement officer from Oropune Gardens, was found dead inside his car around 10 45 am on Thursday around a bushy area near the Kallco Asphalt Plant located at Mausica Road South.  

It is reported that Rambaran had been missing since Tuesday after allegedly leaving to meet the suspect for an alleged vehicle purchase in Malabar, Trinidad. His motionless body was later found slumped in the front passenger seat of his white coloured Toyota NZE, having gunshot injuries.  

While that investigation took place, police officials started connecting the dots in a double homicide in a remote area located off Nonpariel Road on Saturday, April 12, 2025. In this case also, Justin Baird’s name came out as the person whom the victim went to meet.  

On the morning of April 12, officers found a green coloured Nissan Almera overturned in a ravine, inside which, 23-year-old Codi Soodeen was found slumped in the front passenger seat with severe injuries to the neck. Around 100 feet away only, the body of 43-year-old Terrance Joseph of Cunupia was found on the roadside with similar injuries as well as a gunshot wound to the shoulder.  

Both men, who were brothers in law, allegedly went to meet the same suspect Baird for a vehicle related transaction and they never came back home. A family member of Soodeen, who wished to remain anonymous for safety, contacted the local media and confirmed Baird as the suspect who set up both Terrance and Codi.  

According to the source, police officers warned the families of the victims not to speak publicly however the relative insisted that they did not deserve this and that Baird must be exposed.  

Police have confirmed that Baird is a person of interest in all three murders and is believed to be involved in a wider vehicle sale scam network that has led to robberies, disappearances, and deaths within the Northern, North-Central and Eastern Divisions. 

His driver's license, which he used in previous bogus transactions, list his address as Fishing Pond Road Sangre Grande. 

Investigations are ongoing by the Homicide Bureau Region II, with support from the Anti-Kidnapping Unit and other specialized teams.