American comedian and activist Tou Ger Xiong — found dead in a suspected kidnapping-turned-murder in Colombia — knew the woman who lured him into the trap, his brother told The Post.
Xiong, 50, an Asian-American who lives in Minnesota, often visits Colombia. There he met the woman who is now in custody for allegedly luring him into a kidnapping plot, which ended with the comedian’s body in a ravine with more than a dozen stab wounds.
“He had been in contact with this woman before, and she was part of the ‘new friends’ he met on his way there,” brother Eh Xiong, 56, told The Post.
Eh said Xiong had several photos of the woman, who has not been publicly identified, and her friends on his phone.
The photos, along with the testimony of his brother’s roommate — who had seen the suspect before — made it easier for police to track down the suspect and take him into custody.
Eh feared the suspect might try to win his brother’s trust every time he visited Colombia before he finally disappeared on Dec. 10.
American comedian and activist Tou Ger Xiong was found dead after meeting a woman in Colombia on December 10. CBS
“That day was not the first time they met,” said the sad brother. “It’s hard to imagine, but maybe he lost control because he thought he knew him.”
Eh and other friends would continue to receive calls from Xiong and the kidnappers asking for $2,000 for the comedian’s safe release. Xiong also told his friend, who filed a police report, that he was “held at gunpoint,” according to KSTP.
However, the exchange never took place, with Xiong’s body eventually found lying in La Corcovado gorge with stab wounds and multiple bruises caused by an apparent fall of more than 60 feet, according to local newspaper El Colombiano.
Eh said police were able to locate his brother’s body following the woman’s arrest, so he hopes investigators can bring others involved to justice.
Xiong was one of seven brothers and four sisters who fled Laos. Tou Ger Xiong / Facebook Xiong has visited Colombia several times, because he enjoys culture and music. Tou Ger Xiong / Facebook
He added that the family is still waiting for the toxicology report. US tourists were warned earlier this year about a scheme in a major Colombian city where kidnappers drug visitors high on a sedative known as scopolamine — an odorless, tasteless, memory-blocking substance that puts victims in a trance-like state.
Eh said it was heartbreaking to learn what happened to his younger brother, with the community of Woodbury, MN, also mourning the death of the local defense attorney.
Born in Laos in 1973 to a family of seven brothers and four sisters, Xiong grew up with a strong sense of compassion that he channeled into helping fellow immigrants assimilate and find opportunities in Minnesota.
The Minnesotan works as a comedian and advocate for immigrants in the Asian-American community. Tou Ger Xiong / Facebook
Eh described her brother, a political science major, as a champion of equality who would fight racism and help anyone he met find joy and laughter.
He said that was one of the reasons why Xiong became a comedian, as he was always quick to use his wit and humor to defuse tense situations.
“I always thought of him as my funny little brother, but now that he’s gone, I can step back and see how much he accomplished and what he meant to our community,” Eh said. “He has inspired so many people and touched so many lives.”
Eh added Xiong’s family is working to establish a foundation in his brother’s name to continue his work and help others.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
