RADHICA DE SILVA
Senior Multimedia Reporter
radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
Gibbon Coker's love for his daughter and his desire to protect her led to his death on Saturday afternoon as he was shot dead in a forested area in Moruga.
Police said Coker, 56, died from a gunshot wound to the abdomen around 3:25 pm on Saturday. He had ventured into a forest with a relative to search for his 28-year-old daughter, who had not responded to his phone calls.
Investigators believe the area was being used to cultivate marijuana. Coker was reportedly walking through the field when he was struck by what may have been a trap gun. However, officers said the trap gun was not recovered, and they are continuing investigations to determine whether Coker may have been murdered.
When Guardian Media visited the family home, Coker’s son, Kiel Coker, said his father had been trying to help his sister, who was facing personal challenges. He said Coker had become more concerned about his daughter following the death of his wife, Annmarie George, who ingested poison and died by suicide on February 14. George had reportedly been unwell and troubled before her death.
“My father was calling my sister every day. When she didn’t answer, he and my uncle decided to go into the forest to look for her,” Kiel said.
He recalled the moment his uncle ran out of the forest and came to their Newton Trace home shouting that Coker had been shot.
“When I got there, I saw him lying on the ground. He was bleeding from his stomach. He was already gone. I didn’t touch him. I just ran straight to the police,” he said.
