Tragedy struck on Monday, December 11, when Tou Ger Xiong, a 50-year-old American comedian and activist from Minnesota, was stabbed to death during his visit to Colombia.
The New York Post reported that he was kidnapped before the unfortunate incident occurred. Tou Ger Xiong, an Asian-American, was on vacation in the South American country at the time of his death.
His brother, Eh Xiong, officially confirmed the tragic news on Tuesday morning via a Facebook post.
“It is with immense sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the discovery of the body of our beloved family member, Tou Ger Xiong. He was a beloved member of our family and the pain of his loss is indescribable.” Mr. Xiong’s family wrote in the Facebook statement.
As reported by Colombian newspaper El Colombiano, Mr. Xiong landed in Medellín, Colombia, on November 29 to spend the holidays there. On Sunday, December 10, he decided to meet a woman he had connected with on social media.
Unfortunately, his plans took a tragic turn when he became the victim of an attack and kidnapping by a group of men shortly after meeting the mysterious woman.
The men held him captive and approached his family and friends, demanding a $2,000 ransom. However, even before he could collect the money, his life was tragically taken a day later.
His body, with multiple stab wounds and signs of blunt trauma, was located in the waters of the La Corcovado ravine. Authorities are investigating whether an escape attempt played a role in his murder.
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Following the discovery of her body, police visited her apartment and encountered a woman removing belongings from her room. She fled when they tried to question her.
”We are cooperating fully with law enforcement agencies who are working diligently to investigate this heinous crime. “We are confident in their commitment to bringing those responsible to justice and implore anyone with information to come forward and assist in this effort.” reads a family statement.
”This is devastating news. My heart goes out to Tou Ger Xiong’s family and our entire Hmong community. As a comedian and activist, his work touched many lives in the Twin Cities and beyond.” U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) expressed condolences over his death.
Mr. Xiong, a Laotian-American comedian and educator from St. Paul, Minnesota, was known for defending the Hmong people, an indigenous group residing primarily in Southeast Asia.
Authorities report an increase in kidnappings in Colombia. El Colombiano noted that three American tourists, including Mr. Xiong, were killed in the last month.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn