Trinidad: Murder victim’s home, residence set on fire days after killing

Trinidad and Tobago: The home and business place of a Cunupia murder victim were deliberately set on fire right after midnight on Saturday, June 14, 2025, just days after he was gunned down on the same premises. 

According to the information, the police officials believe that the fire was started by known suspects as investigations into both the murder and now the suspected arson intensify in Trinidad.  

The victim, 50-year-old Joseph Jason Apping, was found dead at his business named 'JR Tire Services’ which is located along Jernigham Junction Road in Cunupia. The discovery was made around 8:30 am on Wednesday, June 11, 2025.  

Police reported that he was found lying on his back in a pool of blood, clad only in a pair of black coloured shorts. It was further reported that several 9mm and .38 spend shells were discovered shattered near his motionless body.  

The preliminary investigations found that residents reported hearing gunfire just after midnight, hours before Apping were found dead. The scene was then processed by police and CSI Officers from Homicide Region Three while the District Medical Officer in Trinidad pronounced the victim dead on the spot.  

Notably, the fire that gutted the building over the weekend is now being investigated as a suspected silencing or retaliatory attack which has left the community shaken and investigators hunting for answers in what appears to be a calculated and ruthless execution which followed a cover-up. 

Joseph Jason Apping Found Dead on June 11 

The 50-year-old truck driver was found dead on June 11 after officers were alerted to a report of a homicide at his business premises. Upon arrival, they were met by a man who reported finding the deceased inside the premises at around 8:30 am.  

The police are not yet able to determine the exact motive behind this tragic incident, and they are still conducting investigations to find the suspects involved in the same.