On Thursday morning, tragedy struck in Aripo as the body of 21-year-old Brandon Bruce was discovered. Police were notified around 11.35am on July 18 about a body that was found in a pond on Smithfield Road.
Undertakers arrived on the scene and found Bruce’s body in a disturbing state of decomposition. His head was wrapped in a plastic bag secured with silver duct tape, and he had suffered a gunshot wound to his stomach. Bruce was found unclothed, with only a sheet around his waist and his black underwear pulled down to his feet.
Investigations revealed that Bruce had been dropped off at the Aripo house where he lived by his mother on July 16 at 7.30pm. The next day, around 5.30am, his mother attempted to reach him on his phone without success. She visited the house later that day, only to find the couch he slept on turned over, along with blood on the floor and wall. Distraught, she contacted the Arima Police Station.
During an emotional gathering at the Forensic Science Centre in St. James, Bruce’s grieving relatives painted a picture of him as a loving, diligent young man who led a clean lifestyle devoid of vices such as drinking, smoking, and partying.
