2025.7.8 Kidnap victim murdered after ransom paid
RELATIVES of 35-year-old kidnap victim Kerry Von Adams are distraught after he was killed despite a ransom being paid for his safe release.
Von Adams’s body was found in Heights of Guanapo on July 7, a day after his family paid a $15,000 ransom.
Von Adams left home at around 11 pm on July 5 to lime at a bar in Arima, but his family received a call less than two hours later by someone who claimed to have kidnapped him.
The family scrambled together the ransom within hours, and was instructed to drop it off along the Tumpuna Road, Arima.
Unfamiliar with the area, the relative called back the kidnapper and was given directions on the phone as she named the streets she was passing.
She was instructed to throw the envelope with the cash out of her car window somewhere near Gill View and Davis Court Road near the Tumpuna Road Seventh-Day Adventist church.
The kidnapper then told her to pick up Von Adams at the Arima Boys’ RC School, but when she got there, he was not there and the kidnappers stopped answering his phone.
They then contacted the police and engaged volunteer search teams in the hope he would be found alive.
Their hopes were dashed, however, when his bullet-riddled body was found lying in the underbrush among some fruit trees on private farmland in Heights of Guanapo at around noon on July 7.
A farmer cleaning his land found Von Adams’s body with bullet wounds and called the police.
“I came to the farm and went to spray. As I was passing in the area, I saw the leg of a man in the bush so I went and called the police.”
Police suspect Von Adams was shot at the scene as casings were found near to his body.
The farmer, a retired doctor who was shot during a robbery years ago, described the crime situation in TT as ridiculous.
“I knew when the police used to have a baton alone. No bullet proof vest or anything, and short pants, tall socks and the baton on the side. Now, the police came here today and at least about ten had guns, each with a gun and a revolver.
“It’s terrible that the country has come to such an extent that police have to be armed like that.”
Relatives: Crime of opportunity
Some relatives went to the place his body was found after hearing the news and said although they were not able to identify his body, they were reliably informed that it was Von Adams.
“We have to go to Forensic (Science Centre) to do the official viewing, but the people there saw the picture of him and they confirmed it was him.”
They described him as “the greatest” and said he was always supportive of his family.
“He loved us. He was the youngest in the family and the last of five. He was always there for us.”
Von Adams was engaged to his high-school sweetheart and was in the initial stages of planning their wedding.
The family said although Von Adams ran his own upholstery business in D’abadie, they do not believe he was specifically targeted.
“We didn’t think anybody will target us or target him. We are normal everyday people. I don’t get it. I don’t understand.”
They told Newsday they believed he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and his kidnappers turned killers saw a chance to make some easy money.
“I just feel like it was an opportunity that the criminals saw and they took it. Because he not owing anybody, he has no grievances with anybody.
“They probably just tried to steal the vehicle and decided if he don’t have his bank card on him or whatever, they tried (to find a way to get some more money).”
Police: Call us, we are trained to deal with kidnappings
The female relative who spoke with the kidnapper told Newsday how she felt after receiving the call on the morning of July 6.
“I was just studying to save his life. That’s all. At that point in time, they could have asked me for arm and leg or my life in return and I would be there for him. That’s all I was studying. I wasn’t studying anything else but to get him home safely the best way I can.
“Hence, I tried to comply with what they said in the hope that they would give him back (to us).”
She said when you got to the school and realised he wasn’t there she began to panic.
“I made a million rounds around the block and I just…I didn’t know. I was still hoping that they would have dropped him off somewhere else and, you know, he would have called me or something. But I waited and it never happened.”
ACP Criminal Division Richard Smith advised people whose loved ones are kidnapped to get the police involved as soon as possible.
He acknowledged there may be some hesitation to do so but said police are trained for these type of situations.
“We have trained people in the Anti-kidnapping Unit (AKU) who are specialised and have been doing this for some time.”
Smith noted the police success rate in dealing with kidnapping for ransom.
“Last year we had a 100 per cent detection rate. There were eight kidnappings for ransom and people were arrested and charged in every single one of those matters.
“The AKU officers are highly trained for this type of situation and they also have hostage negotiation specialists, so contact the police.”
Pointing to Von Adams’s case as an example, Smith added, “Even if you don’t contact the police initially, look at what could still happen.”
‘Killers don’t belong around normal citizens’
The family, meanwhile, said his killing had left them traumatised and speechless, as they never expected anything like that to happen.
They said although they were aware of the level of crime in TT, it never really affected anyone, until it did.
“Every day you read about these things and it becomes a norm. I feel like in some way or the other, as humans or citizens, we just get a bit desensitised to what we are reading every day.
“But until it reach to you, then you really get to understand and experience what it is… I really hope they get a grip on the crime situation in the country.”
Another female relative said they wanted justice for his murder and had faith that God would deliver it for them.
“I don’t know the kind of ‘things’ out there that don’t have a heart and will take somebody’s life. But we want them behind bars because they don’t belong around normal citizens. These people are possessed.
“They’re crazy that they have some sort of trauma that causes them to think that they could just take somebody’s life and dump them. We want them put behind bars.”
The relative added Von Adams’s death had affected how they lived and their daily schedule.
“I already said I will not be going out at night. Because you can’t be (living) as normal. You can’t be a good person and walk the streets anymore. You just can’t! You can’t be normal!
She added crime in TT is discouraging people from enjoying life.
“You have to stay inside. I notice my neighbours, they stay inside. Their children go to where (they going) and come right back. You can’t live normal in Trinidad anymore because bad things like this happen.”
Police said they are following all leads into Von Adams’s murder, but up till the time of publication no arrests had yet been made.
This story has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.
The body of 35-year-old kidnap victim Kerry Von Adams was found in Heights of Guanapo on July 7, a day after his family paid a ransom for his release.
Von Adams left home on July 5, and his family received a call later that night by someone who claimed to have kidnapped him.
The kidnapper demanded a $15,000 ransom which the family paid the next day to secure Von Adams’s safe release.
Despite paying the ransom, around noon on July 7, a farmer cleaning his land in the Heights of Guanapo found Von Adams’s body with bullet wounds and called the police.
Police suspect he was shot at the scene as bullet casings were found near his body.
2025.7.6 Mom gunned down, found in Enterprise drain
A TUNAPUNA mother of three was shot dead in Enterprise, Chaguanas, on Friday night, in what her friends and family yesterday described as a senseless killing.
Valene Vanessa Campbell, 34, of Marcano Street, Tunapuna, was found lying face-down in a concrete drain around 7.50 p.m. on Friday night, shortly after a report of gunshots was relayed to the E999 Command Centre.
Officers from the Chaguanas CID found Campbell with a gunshot wound to the upper back.
Police do not believe she was robbed because her purse was found next to her.
When the Sunday Express visited her home yesterday, friends, family and neighbours were distraught.
Six of them sat outside the home speaking about the type of person she was. ‘She was the life of the party,’ said one of her friends and neighbours, who only identified herself as Candace. ‘She was a girl who used to be there for you. You could call on her, you could ask her to go anywhere, she would go.’
She said Campbell had two daughters and a son, the youngest being just six years old. ‘She was real humble, real humble. That’s all she used to live for, her kids,’ Candace said.
‘Every day we used to talk.’
Candace recalled that on the day of her murder, Campbell messaged her around 5.48 p.m. saying she was heading to Chaguanas to collect something from someone she knew. ‘That was the last message I get. After that I was trying to call her whole evening and I wasn’t getting on to her. I start to worry.
‘Then I see two police jeeps pass, and I tell my friend any time police going by Valene, something wrong. And that’s exactly what happened.’
Killed in Matura
In an unrelated incident in Matura, an unidentified man was gunned down near a cell tower along Thomas Trace on Friday night. Police said they suspect it was a targeted shooting in the quiet rural community.
At 8.28 p.m., a team of officers from the Matura and Toco police stations were conducting road checks in the vicinity of the Matura Police Station when they were alerted to several gunshots heard at Thomas Trace.
A party of officers made their way to the scene, where they found a man lying in a bushy area about five feet off the road. He also had a headlamp around his neck and showed signs of life when found.
The man, whose identity remains unknown, was taken to the Sangre Grande Hospital by officers. He was pronounced dead on arrival.
There have been 196 murders for the year so far.
2025.6.21 Woman freed of 2014 murder after dad dies in prison awaiting trial
CRIMINAL proceedings against a Cumuto man and his daughter accused of murdering his common-law partner have formally ended.
Sewak Jagroo, 58, was charged in August 2023 alongside his daughter Shastri Jagroo, 25, with the 2014 murder of Esther Williams, who was initially believed to have died by suicide.
During a hearing before Master Shabiki Cazabon on June 18, attorneys representing the State and the accused confirmed that a notice of discontinuance would be filed by that day. The court also ordered that Shastri be released upon the filing and service of the notice on prison authorities.
Sewak died in prison on January 1.
The notices were filed by Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard, SC, on June 18, for the Jagroos.
Williams, 54, was found dead at her home in Cumuto on April 18, 2014. At the time, police said both Jagroos allegedly reported to police that they discovered her body hanging and suggested she had taken her own life.
However, a post-mortem later revealed that Williams had died from ligature strangulation and had sustained blunt traumatic injuries inconsistent with suicide. The case remained unsolved for years until the Cold Case Unit, led by acting ASP Sean Dhillpaul, reopened the investigation.
With the help of Sgt Sean Williams and Cpl Shawn Gordon, charges were eventually laid in 2023 following legal advice from the DPP, a release from the police service said. The Jagroos were arrested on August 29, 2023, at McBean, Couva.
At the time, it was said the case was the eleventh murder case solved by the Cold Case Unit since it was established in 2017.
Shuzvon Ramdass of the public defender’s department represented Sewak while Criston J Williams and Aaron Lewis represented Shastri, who was in university when she was charged.
2026.6.20 Woman freed of murdering her mother
A 32-year-old woman, who was charged alongside her father for murdering her mother four years after her death was ruled to be suicide, has been freed.
Shastri Jagroo, of McBean, Couva, was ordered to be released from custody on Wednesday by High Court Master Shabiki Cazabon after the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) officially discontinued the case against her. The case was also discontinued against Jagroo’s father Sewak, who was charged alongside her in 2018.
However, the elder Jagroo, a 65-year-old labourer from Cumuto, died on January 1 while on remand for the crime. The Jagroos were accused of murdering Esther Williams in 2014.
Williams, a 54-year-old housewife, was found hanging at the home she shared with the elder Jagroo.
Homicide detectives continued investigations as a post-mortem stated that she died of ligature strangulation and her body had multiple blunt traumatic injuries which were inconsistent with the suicide claim from her relatives, who claimed to have found her body.
The Jagroos were arrested by detectives of the T&T Police Service (TTPS) Cold Case Unit in August 2018 and were charged. Guardian Media understands that while prosecutors disclosed evidence in the case since charging the relatives, there was no substantial evidence to prove that the younger Jagroo was responsible for her mother’s death.
The Shastri Jagroo was represented by Criston J Williams and Aaron Lewis of Quantum Legal.
Her father was represented by Shuzvon Ramdass, of the Public Defenders’ Department (PDD).
Ayoola George represented the DPP’s Office.
2026.6.19 Suspect in Savanna’s murder sent to St Ann’s
A suspect who has been arrested in relation to the murder of 20-year-old Savanna Dyer has been sent to the St Ann’s Psychiatric Hospital for evaluation, police said.
Dyer’s body was found in an abandoned parcel of land on Xeres Road, Carlsen Field, on Saturday morning.
Investigators said blood was visible on her face and marks of violence were evident on the body.
An autopsy yesterday confirmed that Dyer’s cause of death was due to a single gunshot wound to the head.
Police confirmed that two men were arrested in relation to the murder. One of the men surrendered to the police, while the other was arrested near his home.
Sources said one of the men was sent to St Ann’s on Tuesday to assess his mental competence, while the other remained in custody at a police station in the Central Division.
Guardian Media understands that the Director of Public Prosecutions has not yet been approached for advice on what charges if any should be laid against the suspects.
2026.6.18 Police probe two rape reports in Barataria and Malabar
Police are investigating two separate rape reports involving young women in Barataria and Malabar within less than a week.
In the first case, a 23-year-old woman told police she had booked an appointment with a tattoo artist via social media and visited his Barataria home around 12.30 pm. While she waited in the gallery, she said he grabbed her hand, forced her onto a bed and assaulted her.
She screamed for help as a neighbour knocked on the door, prompting the man to get dressed and leave. The woman then contacted a relative, who took her to the Barataria Police Station to make a report.
In the second incident, reported last Friday, a 20-year-old woman visited a friend’s home in Malabar around 10.30 am. She told police her friend’s father forced her onto a bed and raped her.
She said she managed to free herself and escaped before reporting the assault.
2026.6.17 Probe continues into shooting death of Tobago pensioner Frank Sandy
Police are still investigating the shooting death of 74-year-old Frank Alan Sandy, who was killed by an off-duty officer in Mt St George, Tobago.
Senior Superintendent Ellie confirmed on Monday that the investigation remains ongoing. The Police Complaints Authority (PCA) is also aware of the case and has invited the family to file a formal complaint.
An autopsy confirmed that Sandy died from a single gunshot wound to the upper left side of his chest.
He was buried yesterday following a funeral attended by relatives and friends.
Sandy was shot around 5 a.m. on May 30 outside the home of PC Roach, who lives a short distance away. The officer reported hearing someone tugging at his front door. He said the man attempted to enter the house and then charged at him with an object. The officer, who is licensed to carry a firearm, said he feared for his life and fired.
Sandy was taken to the Scarborough General Hospital, where he later died.
He lived nearby and was known in the area. His family said he was mentally unwell and often confused, although he had not been officially diagnosed. They believe he may have mistaken the officer’s house for his own.
The family called for a full investigation and intends to take the matter to the PCA. They said they were not properly informed after the shooting and struggled to confirm his identity at the hospital.
They also questioned why lethal force was used on an elderly man they described as weak, confused, and not a threat.
Days after the shooting, someone firebombed the officer’s home. However, the blaze was extinguished, and only a corner of the porch was damaged.
Lady Lava warns women: Be mindful about people you are around
Singer/songwriter Keisha Harris, better known by her stage name Lady Lava, is advising women to be aware of the dangers they face and to trust their instincts.
Taking a step away from her raunchy lyrics, Harris yesterday called on people, women in particular, to be mindful of their surroundings.
The zess/dancehall artiste issued the warning as she commented on the murder of Diego Martin resident Savanna Dyer.
Dyer, 20, of River Estate, was found along Xeres Road in Carlsen Field. Police said Dyer had a wound to the head and officers suspect she was killed and her body dumped in the central area.
Before she was killed, Dyer made several social media posts after spending the evening out with friends.
Harris said, “We really have to be mindful about the people that we are around, the friends that we have, the people are we getting to know. Sometimes yuh might get a feeling about them, you know, follow your feelings, your intuition kicks in. It’s okay to say no.”
Harris, in a video posted on TikTok, said Dyer’s murder re-opened an old wound for her of when a relative was also murdered.
“People that know my family know that we had an experience of this where somebody was missing, somebody close to us was missing. Practically, we lived together and you know, she was murdered. She was coming home from work and you know, she just called like a few minutes before she reached home and stuff and then that was it.”
Harris did not explain who her relative was nor did she go into details about when the incident occurred.
However, the singer added, “So that was a trauma for my family. So every time I see a young lady missing it brings back up that trauma. The whole ordeal of it happening, the day when it happened into the night going into the other day, just hearing every car and thinking the person going to show up and everything, it comes back. She was just travelling home. She just took a wrong vehicle home and that was the end.”
Harris advised women to trust their intuition saying if they got a “funny feeling” while in a car they should get out. This was also extended to men as well as she stressed that life was precious and could, unfortunately, be cut short.
2026.6.16 Emotional last rites for slain autistic teen
On a day that should have been spent honouring their father, Sunita Persad sang through her grief in an emotional tribute to her younger sister, 15-year-old Malini Persad, during the autistic teen’s funeral at their Rochard Douglas Road, Barrackpore home yesterday.
Sunita’s voice quivered as she sang Freedom, a song she wrote for Malini last year.
“You are my light, you are my shadow, you are my everything in my life. I am your shadow, I am your light, I am your everything in your life,” she sang, her voice heavy with grief.
Earlier, soft strains of Donna Taggart’s Jealous of the Angels played in the background as pallbearers carried the casket into the yard. Malini’s father, Andrew Persad, swayed gently, as he held on to his wife, Leela, and Sunita and looked at a framed photo of Malini that had been placed on the casket.
The teen was reported missing from home on April 13. CCTV footage later showed her walking with several bags alongside 52-year-old Vinod Kotai. Her remains were found six days later in a forested area off KPA Road.
Although an autopsy was conducted soon after the body was found, the release of the results was delayed as DNA samples had to be sent abroad for further testing.
Kotai, who was detained during investigations, later died from self-inflicted injuries while in police custody on April 19.
Presiding over the funeral, pundit Dharmendra Persad Sharma offered comfort, saying while death may bring blessing to the soul, it is often cruel to the body. He compared life to a tree standing on the sandy banks of a rive that was, eventually toppled by rushing currents.
Pundit Sharma extended Father’s Day greetings and asked the mourners to pray for all the fathers present as he expressed hope that no other parent would have to endure the Father’s Day that Malini’s father faced.
In the eulogy, Malini’s cousin Maria Vasquez said the family was at a loss for words. She said while going through the teen’s belongings she found a note in which Malini had described herself as “curious, energetic, intellectual, creative and easily upset.”
“Anyone who knew her well knew she was a little firecracker in her own right,” Vasquez said.
She described Malini as strong and decisive, with an innocent but clear sense of self. The youngest of her grandparents’ grandchildren, she was considered the baby of the family.
Vasquez prayed that Malini would find peace in God’s embrace, and asked mourners to carry her light with them always, not as it once shone, but in every memory, every echo of those who loved her.
“You are the continuation of her story,” she said. “Live as she did—honest, brave, and strong.”
In a final message to the murdered teen, she said: “Baby, you were a mystery wrapped in joy, fierce and funny in your own way. I just wanted to say I was sorry, and that I will live the rest of my days doing good in your name.
“You left an impact on us that will push us to do more every single day. My heart aches, and my soul is shattered. You did not get enough time to enjoy the splendours of this world.”
Azaria Mohammed, a teacher at ASJA Girls’ College Barrackpore, also paid tribute, saying the school community felt fortunate to have had Malini among them for the past two years. She described her as intelligent and creative, always respectful and smiling.
“Malini loved maths, art, science, and social studies. She enjoyed debating answers with classmates and was always eager to sing and share her songs,” Mohammed.
Following the ceremony, Malini’s body was taken to the Shore of Peace, South Oropouche, for cremation.
发表回复