A family of four, who are believed to have witnessed the murder of their neighbour last week, was silenced in the quiet community of Chatham on Wednesday night.
Grace Toussaint, 55, her husband Peter Baptiste, 59, son Jeremy Toussaint, 24, and mother Leena Peters, 75, were brutally gunned down at their home at Chatham South Trace, bringing the murder toll to 216 for the year. (See Page A5)
However, the time of their deaths is unknown as they were only discovered around 6 am yesterday by Grace’s father, Patrick Jouba, who lives several houses away.
Investigators believe Jeremy, an electrician at a Point Lisas company, witnessed or may have known who murdered Stephon Sinnette earlier this month.
Sinnette, 33, was shot dead at his home on July 8, hours after chopping his neighbour Ricardo Rodriguez across his face and shoulder. Sinnette was buried yesterday after a funeral service in Cap-de-Ville, Point Fortin. Police also said Jeremy and Sinnette were friends.
Based on where the bodies were found in the house, police believe Jeremy was in the living room watching television when the killer walked in and shot him several times before heading to the bedroom where the others were killed.
Shakened by the loss of his family, Jouba said they were all supposed to attend a prayer service for Sinnette on Wednesday night and he found it strange when they did not show up.
He said Grace’s daughter, Jamie, who lives in Point Fortin, was also trying to contact them by telephone but no one answered.
He said while lying in his hammock around 11 pm Wednesday he heard several gunshots and immediately thought his daughter had been killed because of a premonition he had.
He explained: “I called them yesterday around 5 pm and I did not hear them. I was in my hammock and around 11 pm I heard four shots go off and with those shots, I called my wife and said, ‘Take care they shoot my daughter down the road?’
“This just came to me because I had been having strange things happening to me, like someone killing my dog and all kinds of wrong things so I just felt that could have happened.
“We had to go to a prayers where the boy (Sinnette) got killed and it was so strange that they helped clean his blood and when the time came for the prayer, they were not there. I started to think why they did that, not knowing all of them were dead.”
He said it was a worried call from his grand-daughter around 5.30 am yesterday which led him to check on them.
“I took my car and went. I saw the door open, I saw my son-in-law’s boots on the ground and I thought to myself, like everyone dead. When I walked closer I saw blood running out of the house onto the steps and when I watched inside I saw my grandson lying down dead.”
Jouba said he went home and called that Cedros police and San Fernando CID but got no answer. He said he eventually got help through the Emergency 999 hotline.
He said his grandson knew something about Sinnette’s death but did not come to him for help or advice.
For several hours yesterday, investigators, led by Supt Palloo, Insp Pariman, Sgt Corrie, Sgt Jones and Sgt Mac Donald, blocked the road as they searched the house and surrounding bushes looking for evidence. This left dozens of residents stranded. Up to late yesterday, however, no one was held.
Neighbours who gathered around were afraid to speak to the media but said no one heard the gunshots or saw the family on Wednesday afternoon. Only one resident said they saw Baptiste in the morning.