Green Hill youngster found dead in Arnos Vale

Agassi Fraser was the best child any parent could want.

This sentiment was shared not only by his biological parents, but also by his aunts, uncles, cousins, former schoolmates, and even his siblings.{{more}}

As the 18-year-old, who celebrated his birthday last July, was laid to rest yesterday, his family and community are trying to come to grips with his passing, while they fight off rumours.

Gathered around the kitchen table of their Green Hill home, his mother Barbara, father Cauldric Sr, aunt Cecile Fraser-Gibson and older brother and sister Cauldric Jr and Sabrina, respectively, consoled each other as they recounted the short but meaningful life of the young man they called ‘Gasi’.

Since his lifeless body was found a few feet away from the bus stop close to Highway Trading in Arnos Vale one week ago, things have not been the same.



“It’s been real tough for the family to cope, but the family is bonding together and going back to his memories, thinking about the things that he will do and the things he loved so that we could ease our pain,” Barbara said.

Gasi disappeared at about 11 o’clock on the morning of Thursday, October 8, after running errands for his mother.

He left home to visit his girlfriend who lived not too far away.

He was not seen alive after that.

“When it was after six, I called his phone and he didn’t answer. Then I went looking for him and his friend told me he was not on the playing field, then I started worrying,” his mother recalled.

His father added: “I sat in the porch and said ‘this is not normal’ and because of what was happening over the last two weeks, I say ‘Gasi gone’.”

Family members related that two weeks ago, the youngster was contacted by a female on his cell phone and via the Internet, who indicated that she was interested in meeting him.

They disclosed that on numerous occasions, the woman invited him to go to secluded beaches with her, offers his family insisted that he did not accept.

“He was very suspicious of her, so he never set out to go visit anybody by himself. He was telling her to meet him in public instead.”

His parents admitted that his disappearance was reported to the police on Friday morning, and later that day, another report was made when a ransom demand of $60,000 was made.

“I would really and truly like people to know, when they say we refused to pay ransom; there is no money in this world that we will not pay,” the bereaved mother stressed.

“But they never called back.”

The call on Saturday afternoon, however, to inform the parents that their son had been found dead was devastating.

“It was the worst day of my life. I was still hoping that he was alive,” his mother said.

“I really would like to know why somebody would take my son and do this to him.”

The family is hoping that justice is served on the perpetrators of the crime, which was committed on a young man who had no known enemies, and was considered a peacekeeper in his community and former schools.

The family is appealing for the rumours that are being spread about him and other family members to stop, since they say there is no truth to them.

“I would challenge anybody to come forward and say that I was dishonest, that I owe anybody, and that is what cause me to lose my son,” Cauldric senior stressed.

“My brother didn’t have any dirty dealings. He was not involved in drugs or made any trouble,” said the younger Cauldric.

The family also wanted to make it clear that Agassi, who was set to travel overseas to study aviation, was not beheaded.

“Please stop spreading this propaganda!” his aunt begged.

The family also expressed gratitude to members of the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force, who they claimed helped as much as possible.

On Monday evening, hundreds of Agassi’s relatives and friends gathered at Arnos Vale in the area where his body was found to sing songs and reflect on the young man’s life.

Up to press time, police had interviewed a number of persons in the matter, but no arrest had yet been made.