[UPDATED] Brutality after birthday

One day after John “Joker” Mills, celebrated his 70th birthday he and his common-law-wife Eulyn John were found murdered at their Cocrico Ave, Buccoo, home. Newsday was told the victims were gagged and hands and feet bound before they were stabbed to death. The gruesome discovery was made by one of their nephews around noon on Thursday.

District medical officer (DMO) Dr Maxwell Adeyemi told Newsday he observed transparent straps around the couple’s neck which he believed were used to strangle them while they were stabbed multiple times in the chest and neck. He also said duct tape was used to cover John's mouth and nose as well as bind the couple's hands and feet.

The nephew told Newsday he was in disbelief when he found his relatives laying in a pool of blood in their master bedroom. He said the crime scene was unbearable to witness.

“He lived his full three scores and ten but they ain’t let him live another day. All I saw was a lot of blood on my aunt’s bed. I didn’t even go into another room to check anything when I saw them in that condition. Most I did was move a little closer and called them to see if they were alive.

"We talk about things like these everyday but to see my uncle and aunt in that position. I couldn’t believe what I saw.

“My aunt always begging him to come inside because the place isn’t safe again when he goes to water his plants, and he would say, 'When they come I ready for them.’

"My uncle’s body was built and he was an athlete so it took a lot to take him down that’s why they tied him up and they had to tie up my aunt’s mouth because she would have made a lot of noise.”

He said his uncle, a father of one, purchased a CCTV camera system to install but never made the time to do so.

The couple, who lived together for 14 years, was pronounced dead at 4 pm on Thursday by DMO Dr Adeyemi who ordered the bodies removed to the Scarborough Mortuary. One good friend of Mills described him as a good person with a kind heart while other residents said the couple was peaceful and well respected in the area. Tobago House of Assembly representative for the Buccoo/Mt Pleasant Ancil Denis also visited the scene.

The murders came days after Tobago’s newly appointed ACP Ansley Garricak called on Tobagonians to not accept murders as a norm in society. In an interview with Newsday on Monday Garrick pleaded with residents to keep an eye on the gradually increasing murder toll each year. He said Tobagonians had grown accustomed to the low murder toll but were not troubled by the small increase each year.

Mills and John are the island's fourth and fifth murder victims for 2019.

In March the island went into shock after Tobago’s third murder victim, prominent businessman and retired police sergeant Donald Parks was shot dead at his Summer Hill, Plymouth Rd, home while getting out of his panel van. He was discovered by his daughter Essie Park.

In February, the island’s second murder victim, Anderson Baboonanan, was stabbed to death along the Claude Noel Highway during a domestic dispute. Police were unable to gather sufficient evidence against a female suspect who was then released on orders from the DPP.

Police are also continuing investigations into Tobago’s first murder involving 20-year-old Dwarika Moses of Les Coteaux. Moses was discovered in a burnt car with a gunshot wound to his head along Mason Hall Link road on January 16.

Officers of the Homicide Bureau are continuing investigations.

This story was originally published with the title "Tobago records a double murder" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

Tobago police are currently investigating a double murder in Cocrico Avenue, Buccoo, Tobago.

The victims have been identified as John Mills aka Joker Mills, 70, and his wife Eulyn. Speaking with media at the scene, Acting Senior Superintendent Jeffrey George said police received information of a homicide just before noon.

"At this stage we have no information, investigations are ongoing. "What I would like to say is anyone with information, who may have seen anything, should contact the police please, we need to solve this," the ASP said. At this time, police are still at the scene.