Chopped body in burning house

Firemen who responded to house fire in Ragbir Street, St Augustine yesterday discovered the chopped up body of a 53-year-old man among the smouldering rubble.

According to reports, at 11 am residents of Ragbir Street contacted the Tunapuna Fire Station and alerted officers to a fire at the home of Patrick Ali. When officers arrived and extinguished the fire, they saw the partially burnt body of Ali bearing chop wounds in the living room of the house.

Officers of the St Joseph Police Station led by Insp Naim Gyan along with Homicide Investigations Bureau officers went to the scene and cordoned off the area. Police were unable to ascertain a motive for Ali’s murder but are hoping CCTV camera footage from nearby houses could assist in identifying anyone. Neighbours of Ali kept to himself and they had no idea why he was killed.

Ali’s death pushed the murder toll to 377 for the year.