Triple murder in Petit Valley Man, wife, teen son killed execution-style

Three people–a man, his wife and teenage son–were executed on Monday night in Petit Valley after they allegedly refused to disclose the whereabouts of their second son, who was believed to be the target.

Marloon Lee, 41; his common-law wife, Salina Rodriguez, 34; and his son Maleek Lee, 17, were all shot multiple times by armed assailants around 9.36 pm at their home at Sita Trace, off Upper Pioneer Drive.

Approximately 30 9 mm spent shell casings along with two live rounds of 9 mm ammunition and one deformed projectile were recovered at the scene.

Police confirmed “it was an execution-style killing,” and attributed the murders to gang violence. However senior police officials were unable to verify a theory that the killings were meant to send a message to Lee’s remaining offspring, a teenage boy, who allegedly issued threats to a reported gang leader in the area.

The three victims were reportedly asleep inside the modest board house, located off the main track, when Maleek came out to use the toilet. It was believed he was ambushed and killed first, and that the gunshots alerted the adults inside.

The gunmen, it was claimed, had come from the bushes behind the house and entered the home using the back door. People living close by initially thought the gunfire was fireworks. But they soon realised that something was wrong, and upon checking, they found Maleek lying on the ground outside, bleeding from multiple gunshot wounds. He was wearing a pair of boxers and black three-quarter pants when he was gunned down.

Residents alerted police, and officers arrived to find Marloon dead inside and a badly injured Rodriguez lying on the bed, alive and begging for help. She was taken to the St James Medical Complex, where she was treated but succumbed to her injuries around 10.35 pm. Marloon and Maleek were declared dead at the scene.

Guardian Media understands it was Marloon’s other son who returned home around 11 pm and found the bodies and alerted relatives and neighbours.

Marloon and Rodriguez had both been employed with the Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP) as labourers for over ten years.

Police, meanwhile, are continuing investigations into the theory that Marloon’s other son was the person the gunmen were looking for.

They were unable to confirm that the teen and a friend were responsible for circulating a series of social media posts within recent weeks, threatening an individual believed to be the leader of a gang in the area.

Guardian Media was told the friend had been beaten last week and also threatened by members of the gang, who had sent a message to Marloon’s son that he would be next. It is believed that, as a result, Marloon had sent his son to stay with friends and family in a bid to keep him safe.

Following the shooting, police patrols have been increased in the area. One senior official assured, “The community’s comfort is our main concern at this time. We want to reassure them that it is safe for them to move around, and we are hoping our increased presence will bring a renewed sense of security and comfort to the area.”

Relative: This horror is unimaginable

A female relative of the murdered couple spoke with reporters at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, yesterday. She mourned the sudden deaths as she said, “Marloon was a typical person. Anything you ask of him, it didn’t matter. He would go to the ends of the earth for yuh.”

She said while he was not perfect and had “little squabbles” like all adults, “it was nothing to cause this form of senseless killings.”

Maleek was described as “slow and not academically inclined,” but despite this, she added, “He was good with his hands.” Maleek had attended the Diego Martin North Secondary School and later Servol, where he dropped out of classes.

She claimed Maleek had “now been trying to figure himself out.” She added, “He was learning a trade; he was doing masonry. Is not like he was sitting down home and playing games the whole day. The father got him a job so he could have money coming in, not to be out on the streets. He was a typical teenager, making mistakes; he wasn’t perfect.”

Struggling to find the words as she last saw the trio around 9 pm on Sunday and they were good. The grieving woman accused officers from the Homicide Bureau and district CID of acting in an unprofessional manner at the murder scene as they dismissed the family’s pain and anguish.

She said the area was not known for these types of killings, which had left them scared, anxious and confused.

“People keep saying gang, gang, gang, but they were not in any gang. The killing was execution style, and what’s hurtful enough is that even if is one they going to kill, one person, they literally eradicated a whole family, a whole generation.”

Reeling from shock that three members of the family had been wiped out in the attack, she added, “We are so scared, we don’t know if the remaining son will be safe now. I don’t know if they will make a tack back. I do not know if we decide to bring him home to stay by us if they will come for us.”

She lamented the hardships Marloon’s mother had endured to raise her children, adding the horror “is unimaginable.” She said killings such as these had now become the norm, as “nothing does ever come out of it even if they investigate. No information is always gang.”

When Guardian Media visited yesterday, the area appeared to be quiet as some elders sipped alcohol and remembered the victims as good people who did not interfere with anyone.

MP: Crime is a concern to me

Diego Martin Central MP Symon de Nobriga—in whose constituency the murders occurred—said while the area has largely been spared by outbreaks of gun violence, Monday’s killings had understandably left the community shaken.

In a brief interview, he told Guardian Media, “Any sort of crime is of real concern to me.”

De Nobriga, the Communications Minister, said he had spoken to Minister in the Ministry of National Security Keith Scotland, whose portfolio includes special responsibility for the T&T Police Service (TTPS), and they would be moving to meet with residents in the area soon. While the date and time were yet to be decided, de Nobriga explained the purpose of the meeting was to “reassure the community about what the response is going to be in terms of the police presence and also address other issues such as infrastructure.”

Admitting he was still trying to come to terms with the incident, the minister said the feedback from residents will determine the need for further measures.

As was done in Powder Magazine, Cocorite, following a mass shooting back in May in which four people were killed, de Nobriga said there would be an increased presence of law enforcement officers.

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