State witness killed attending birthday lime

A 22-year-old state witness in a Morvant double murder was shot and killed when she left the witness protection programme to attend a friend's birthday lime in Barataria last night.

Police said Veronica Franco was a witness and was part of the programme, but left her safe house to attend a friend's birthday party at Twelfth Street Barataria at around 8 pm.

They said two men saw her at the lime and shot her several times before running away.

She was taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex where she died.

Police suspect the killers anticipated her coming out of the programme and were keeping an eye out for her.

Newsday understands one man was arrested and charged for the double murder.