The killing of attorney Richard Wheeler and his wife, Grace, at their home in Tobago will be listed in the UK's travel advisory to T&T, says British High Commissioner to T&T, Tim Stew, yesterday. The couple, who lived at their home in Carnbee, Tobago, for 16 years, were found by a gardener with chops to their heads, necks and arms.
In an telephone interview yesterday Stew said the update was expected to take effect from today. A check of the advisory which was described as "still current" as at October 21, 2015 said:
"Most visits to Tobago are trouble free but tourists (including British nationals) have been robbed. The inability of the authorities to catch and prosecute offenders remains a concern.
“Incidents of violent crime in Tobago are rare but two German tourists (Hubertus Keil, 74, and his wife Birgid Keil, 71) were murdered on 22 November 2014 on Minister’s Bay in the Bacolet area."
Stew said: "There is a factual revision of the travel advisory which reflects that these murders have taken place. We already have advised UK visitors to take care and we provide them with the facts and of what has happened and that includes the murders." He said law enforcement support from the UK had not yet been sent to assist local police but emphasised the UK was willing to lend support.
"While the investigation is underway I would not say anything to hamper that investigation but I welcome the seriousness which the police and the authorities are taking this terrible event.
“We are ready to lend any assistance in the matter but at the moment we have not sent any UK officers," Stew added.
Senior Supt Joanne Archie, assigned to the Tobago Division, said while the police were exploring all angles, they could not say for a fact whether couples in Tobago were being deliberately targeted.
While admitting that the crime situation was worrying, she said: "We are looking at all avenues and all information. It is a fact that couples are involved... we do not want to pronounce it yet until we really have something that will tell us it is directly targeted to couples."
The murders made regional and international headlines and were reported by several media houses, including the BBC and the Daily Mail.