Three weeks ago David Phelps told his older cousin Gary Jagdeo that Jagdeo would have to live long enough to bury him.A sorrowful Jagdeo recalled this to the media outside the Forensic Science Centre yesterday.Phelps, 47, and another cousin, Raul Cassie, were both shot dead while liming outside a bar in Maraval on Thursday night. Police are baffled as to a possible motive.
Phelps, originally from Boissiere Village, Maraval, and his younger cousin, the 45-year-old Cassie of Calvary Street, Boissiere Village, were shot while liming outside Pillai's bar around 7.30 pm. Police said a white car pulled up and two men got out and started shooting. Phelps died on the spot and Cassie was pronounced dead on arrival at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital.Police recovered over 25 spent shells.Jagdeo said Phelps loved his belly and he would usually be the one Phelps called whenever he was cooking.
Jagdeo said Phelps, the father of four, had only hours earlier spent over $3,000 at the bar sponsoring drinks. He said neither cousin frequented the establishment. Jagdeo said his cousins were loving men who all grew up in a warm and loving environment.Cassie, the father of three, had only returned to the country a year ago after spending 18 years abroad, he said, adding that when his cousin returned he made peace with all he had wronged. Jagdeo said he was clueless as to who would want either man dead.
"Long ago there used to be love in the place. Now, everybody looking for a dollar and what they doing for that? Taking a man life," Jagdeo said, adding that he was commenting on the fragility of life with the parents of Kendell Thomas, who was shot dead on Wednesday and whose body was dumped in a river in Beetham Gardens after he was robbed and abducted from a red band maxi-taxi.
According to an autopsy report, Phelps was bashed in the head before being shot once to the back of the head with an assault rifle. Cassie was shot eight times.Their deaths pushed the murder toll to 375 for the year.