Fyzabad police are investigating the gruesome murder of an unidentified man, whose almost decapitated body was found inside a Petrotrin field road.
The killing was the third in Fyzabad for the past week and pushed the murder toll to 256 for the year.
Up to yesterday afternoon, investigators were unable to identify the man.
Police said that around 11 am, they received an anonymous call after a villager stumbled upon the body lying across the roadway off Sewlal Trace Extension, Pepper Village.
On checking, a party of officers led by Insp Anderson Pariman and Insp Peter Ramdeen found the corpse lying face down near a pumping jack.
The body bore chop wounds to the back of the neck and hands and officers said it appeared that his killer took him there last night and hacked him to death.
For hours, crime scene investigators waited to examine the area as heavy rains beat down in South Trinidad. Tents had to be brought in to cover the body until a district medical officer examined it and ordered its removal to the San Fernando mortuary.
The body was clothed in a turquoise T-shirt with "Plipdeco Family Day" printed on it, a green three-quarter length pants and white Nike sneakers. The Afro-Trinidadian man, who appeared to be in his thirties, had a medium build, short black hair and brown skin.
In a separate incident, 87-year-old Cosmos "Papa" Hypolite was found dead on Thursday. He lived under constant death threats. Still, relatives were in disbelief when they saw undertakers removing his body from his house.
Sitting with a glum expression at their Pepper Village, Fyzabad, home yesterday, Rosey Paponette said she never believed she would lose her husband that way.
"He was a person who laughed and talked with everybody, he had no enemies. He always liked to make jokes and there was nobody who could say Papa was a bad man," 61-year-old Paponette said.
On Thursday, police found Hypolite slumped on a chair inside a house he owned at Butler Avenue, Fyzabad, nursing chop wounds to his chest.
Police said he had gone to tend his garden at the back of the house earlier that day. It was believed that around 3 pm, he had an argument with a 31-year-old relative when he was killed.
Fyzabad police, led by Insp Anderson Pariman and Insp Peter Ramdeen, held the suspect driving Hypolite's blue Nissan Sunny a short time later.
Paponette said she would usually go to the garden to help her husband, but was unwell that day. It was only until 2.30 pm when Hypolite did not return that she sent her son Mark and his wife Roxanne to look for him. She said his mobile phone was not working, so there was no way to contact him.
Police said the relative claimed that Hypolite attacked first and he retaliated, but Paponette said her husband lacked the strength to fight anyone. She said they would usually leave the garden whenever the relative threatened them and reported him to the police.
She said the police would usually come and arrest the relative, but he would return and make further threats.
On June 25, after a heated argument with a neighbour, a 32-year-old Cepep labourer was gunned down at his Fyzabad home.
Police believe the murder of Seiko "Spider" Young was drug-related as they said he was a well known drug peddler and had previous convictions for marijuana possession.
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Pensioner's bodyfound in La Romaine
San Fernando police are also probing the death of an 83-year-old pensioner, whose decomposing body was found at his La Romaine home early yesterday.
Elton Parkes had not been seen by his Nice Street neighbours since Sunday, but no one found it strange that he had not ventured outside his home as he usually did on mornings.
According to a report, Parkes' nephew, SRP Mervyn Goddard, 43, left his Kalloo Street home around 6.30 am, to visit him. On entering the yard, he noticed a foul odour coming from inside the house and as he checked around, he found Parkes on the floor of the bathroom.
A team of San Fernando police led by Insp Don Gajadhar went to the scene along with DMO Dr Silochan.
Police do not suspect foul play as there were no signs of a struggle in the house.
PC Harripersad is continuing investigations.