If you're not familiar with the old Northern Highway, then you probably don't know Santana Village. But the community of about 500 is making headlines tonight because of a possible homicide, the first one there in five decades or more.
57 year-old Maurice Dennis Young, better known as "Tuko" was last seen on Monday, and when his body was discovered yesterday, it caused an upheaval in village. Persons who have viewed the body tell us that there are some peculiar signs which suggest violence to them, but the official confirmation on his cause of death is still pending.
Our news team was there at the on-site autopsy this morning, and Daniel Ortiz reports:
Daniel Ortiz Reporting
Family members and friends of 57 year-old Maurice Young could only look on as police officers and Dr. Mario Estradabran conducted an on-site autopsy of his body. They agonized about the cause of his death for hours.
He was last seen by his friends early this week, and when he was discovered yesterday, there were signs that he had been dead for at least 2 days.
Colin Jones - Friend of Deceased
"Tuko came and greeted me after the Maskall Bus passed on Monday evening, at around 7 p.m. He told me that he was going up to Sheena, a lady that lives right up the street about 3 house from me. I didn't hear when Tuko pass back, and my dogs didn't bark, and afterwards I fell asleep. Tuesday morning, I came and ask for Tuko and I couldn't find him."
Mark Reid - Friend of Deceased
"Yesterday, whole morning, I never saw him. I was to call my daughter and ask her because his bike was outside, and his radio was on. When she came the evening and I asked her if if Tuko went on the bus, and she told me no. She went to check, and when I passed by she called for me and showed me a body which looked swollen. I walked to the back and I saw a jeans pants, and that's when I realized that it was Tuko."
And due to the advanced state of the decomposition, his loved ones had to make on-site preparations for his burial.
His sudden passing has shocked his family and friends, and though they strongly suspect it to be foul play, police have yet to confirm that that he was murdered.
ASP Christopher Noble - Rural Executive Officer
"The confirmation on his cause of death I cannot say as yet. The Medical Examiner still has that information. We will be getting it shortly. Our information so far is telling us that we may need to interview some people to find out possibility of where he was last, and who he was last with."
Mike Rudon - Channel 5 News
"Some people were saying that his throat was cut."
Mark Reid
"From yesterday, they said that he had some hole in his throat, because it worms were coming out of it. They believed it to be a wound, and that he probably got hurt on his throat."
Anthony Young - Nephew of Deceased
"My brother was the one who witnessed the autopsy, and he said that he saw a slip around the throat. What more confirmation that I need."
Colin Jones
"I think that it's foul play which killed the man. That have to be foul play."
Mike Rudon
"But did you see anything? Some people were saying that his throat was cut or that he got stabbed."
Colin Jones
"He had some marks on his neck, which I knew weren't there, so something is wrong, but I was waiting for the doctor to say something."
If indeed he was murdered, they can understand why:
Mark Reid
"I would want to know who did him like that, because he isn't a problem man like that. He'll drink and start to talk foolishness and call you names, but that's as far as it goes."
Anthony Young - Nephew of Deceased
"Everyone I think from Sandhill to Maskall knows that my uncle is a heavy drinker, and whenever he drinks he doesn't bar anything, he would tell you like it is right now. But regardless of that, we all know him, we all loved him and a lot of people in the village cannot understand why somebody would want to take his life so violently like that makes no sense."
Up to news time, we kept checking with ASP Chris Noble, the Rural Executive Officer in charge of Ladyville Police, and he told us that he was still waiting for Dr. Mario Estradabran to forward the findings of Young's autopsy to him.
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