Arisa’s cousin found shot dead

Hours after murdered mother of two Arisa David was laid to rest, police yesterday found the body of one of her cousins with a gunshot wound to the head at Chickland, Freeport.

Brandon Joseph Khan’s murder and the discovery of two bodies, one of them a woman, have pushed the murders to 17 in six days.

Khan, 23, missed David’s funeral on Friday because he opted to babysit his four-month-old son, Liam, so his wife Krystal and other relatives could go. Khan and Krystal got married last year.

David, 25, was strangled between Monday night and Tuesday morning at her home on Limehead Road, Chase Village, Chaguanas. She lived with her daughters Ranessa, eight, and three-year-old Irisa. The suspect, 36, who in the past abused her, remained in police custody up to last evening. David was buried at St Mary’s Public Cemetery, following a service at the family’s home.

Never did the Khan family expect that hours after the funeral, they too would be in deep mourning for their loved one. Khan lived at Chandanagore Trace, Agostini Settlement, Chase Village. Khan was pursuing an emergency medical technician course at an institute in Charlieville, Chaguanas.

Police said that at about 1.30 pm yesterday, a passer-by saw the body in a bushy area off Ramlal Trace in Chickland. Khan’s white Mazda 3 car was abandoned several metres away. Freeport police and Homicide Bureau Region III detectives visited the scene.

Khan’s father, Omteeas, said Khan stayed at the home of his in-laws to babysit while David’s funeral was in progress. Following the service, Khan went home with his family but returned with his wife to his in-laws.

He subsequently went out and was never seen again.

“Normally they would come back home by 10.30 pm. So, we started calling but he was not answering. We kept calling and after a while the phone went dead. We started calling around,” he said.

Around midday yesterday, the family went to the Freeport Police Station to file a missing person’s report. While doing so, police informed them someone had been murdered at Chickland. The family went to scene where they confirmed the body was Khan.

Coincidentally on Monday, another man named Brandon Khan, 25, was shot and killed at Enterprise, Chaguanas. This victim also called “Chinee” was the year’s first murder victim. “We are not related to that person but when people heard that Brandon Khan was killed, some family members started calling. He was around so we knew it was not him. I cannot say if my son’s death is related to that of his cousin, or had any connection to the death of the other Brandon Khan,” Omteeas said. He said although he has not yet viewed the body, he still cannot believe his son is dead.

The Khan family are members of the Korea Village Evangelical Church and they run a Sunday school at their home for 12 years. Police were unable to say whether Khan’s murder is connected to David’s or his namesake. Also, yesterday a woman’s body was found at Orange Grove, Tacarigua off the Churchill Roosevelt Highway. It was badly decomposed and the remains were taken to the Forensic Science Centre, St James. And Ste Madeleine police are investigating the discovery of human remains found off the Solomon Hochoy Highway on Friday afternoon. Police report that about 1 pm on Friday, two security officers employed with the Land Settlement Agency made the discovery while on a site visit at Allamby Street, St Clement’s, off the highway.

The security officers contacted police. Southern Division and Homicide Bureau (Region III) officers, among them ACP Baldeo, Supt Pardasie, Sgt Ramjag, Cpl Nickchadee and PC Rahim, visited the scene.

District medical officer Dr Ramadin subsequently ordered the removal of the remains to the Forensic Science Centre.

Police are calling on the public who have missing relatives to come forward to assist with the identification. Anyone with information can contact the nearest police station or the Ste Madeleine Police Station at 653-1023.

Cpl Nick Chadee is continuing investigations.