Three men gunned down

 

 

TWO BEETHAM Gardens cousins were shot dead near their respective homes between Friday night and Saturday morning, bringing the country’s murder toll for the year so far to 98.

Police said the first murder occurred at 11.45 on Friday night.

Investigators told the Sunday Express that around that time residents telephoned the Besson Street Police Station after they heard a volley of gunshots in the area.

When officers who were on patrol nearby arrived on the scene they found the body of the victim, Dale Richards, 38, lying in a pool of blood under a shed off Beetham Gardens’ Main Street, opposite Third Street.

Richards had been shot once to the face and several times about the upper body. Police said he lived at Ash Street.

While investigators were on the scene of the first murder the second occurred a short distance away at 12.20 a.m.

Police said that while some of their investigators remained on the scene others went over to Fourth Street where they found the second victim, Nigel Waltz, 27, lying in a track with several bullet wounds.

Waltz was Richards’ cousin.

Officers took him to the Port of Spain General Hospital but they said that his injuries were so severe he died while on the operating table.

Sgt Lynch of the Police’s Homicide Bureau is continuing investigations.

In an unrelated murder, a car parts salesman was gunned down on Friday night at his Cumuto home.

Up to last night investigators were unable to determine why he was shot dead.

Police said that around 10 p.m., Samdeo Manooge Benny, 65, of Caratal Road, Cumuto arrived at his home with his wife and children. He got out of his car and opened the gate leading to his yard. He then drove the car in but when he got out to close the gate a man wearing bandana over his face approached Benny and shot him several times about the body.

The killer then escaped on foot.

Benny’s relatives took him to the Arima Health Facility where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Neighbours described Benny as a peaceful and charitable man.

Homicide Bureau officers are continuing investigations