Murder of Swedish Tourists Rocks Tobago

The killing of an elderly Swedish couple in an apparent robbery has sent shock waves throughout Trinidad’s sister isle Tobago and pushed the twin-island republic’s murder toll this year to 420.

Police said the chopped bodies of Anna Sundsvall, 62 and Ake Alsoon, 73, were found after screams were heard coming from their villa in the Bon Accord area, and a man was then seen running from the property.

When police arrived on the scene, Ms. Sundsvall was already dead, but Mr. Alsoon was still clinging to life. He passed away moments after arriving at the Scarborough Regional Hospital.

“This was very brutal. There was a laceration from the bridge of the right side of the nose down to the ear, there was another laceration in the maxillary (jaw) area. It seems to be a deep wound... a very brutal act, this is the worst I have ever seen,” County Medical Officer of Health, Dr Mentor Melville was quoted as saying in the Trinidad Express newspaper.

Lawmen said robbery may have been the motive since a safe at the unmarried couple’s home had been raided. They also revealed that the property had been robbed in December last year.

The incident has brought the number of people killed in Tobago this year to four and President of the Hotel and Tourism Association, Carol Ann Birchwood-James, said it was “a devastating blow” and “a sad day” for the country’s tourism industry.

The murders come just months after British newlyweds Catherine and Ben Mullany, both 31, were killed in their bungalow at an Antiguan resort. It was on July 27, on the last day of their honeymoon, that the two were shot. Mrs. Mullany died on the spot, but her husband was flown back home to Wales for treatment and died there a week later.