The BBC series Mᴜʀᴅᴇʀ in Paradise (also known as Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise) portrays the Caribbean as a picturesque and idyllic setting filled with vibrant tropical landscapes, pristine beaches, and a relaxed island lifestyle and in spite of the seemingly high Mᴜʀᴅᴇʀ rate among the island’s affluent residents, there is no state of emergency.
While Mᴜʀᴅᴇʀ in Paradise does not explicitly set out to depict the Caribbean as violent or dangerous, its weekly Mᴜʀᴅᴇʀ and focus on crime could unintentionally contribute to that perception.
When North Americans and Europeans think of Trinidad, they probably won’t go far beyond steel drums and Carnival, but the truth may be much darker.
For Trinidadian Margaret Charles, the new year brought no relief from the pain of losing her son, Shakeem Charles, who was Mᴜʀᴅᴇʀ in July. Sitting on her porch in Moruga, a rural town in south Trinidad, Margaret shared the ongoing grief that fills her days.
“I’m being faced with it every day,” she told the BBC, recounting how her granddaughter, Amarah, left an empty chair at Christmas lunch for her father.
Shakeem, a 32-year-old IT technician, had taken a job with TT Rideshare to make extra money. On 9 July, he disappeared after picking up a passenger. That same day, a withdrawal was made from a joint account at an ATM.
His abandoned car was found the next day, and his body was discovered four days later with multiple gunshot wounds. Police have yet to make any arrests.
TT RideShare is a ride-sharing service in Trinidad and Tobago somewhat similar to Uber which advertises on its Web site that it is a safe, easy and efficient way to get around the island–at least for passengers.
Shakeem was one of 624 Mᴜʀᴅᴇʀ victims in Trinidad and Tobago in 2024, the deadliest year in the country’s history.
In response to rising violence, the government declared a state of emergency on 30 December, which has now been extended until mid-April.
Officials blame gang activity for much of the violence, including a shooting on 29 December that left five people dead in Laventille, near the capital, Port of Spain.
Residents of Laventille describe crime as deeply rooted in the area’s culture.
Experts like criminologist Dr. Malisa Neptune-Figaro say that gangs have grown more prevalent in the country since the early 2000s. She argues that many offenders were once victims themselves and join gangs because they feel a sense of belonging.
While the state of emergency has led to over 650 arrests and a decrease in Mᴜʀᴅᴇʀ and robberies, Dr. Neptune-Figaro cautions that such measures only offer short-term solutions. She emphasizes the need for long-term strategies, such as reforming the justice system, improving education, providing jobs, and supporting better parenting practices.
Margaret Charles hopes the state of emergency will bring justice for her son’s Mᴜʀᴅᴇʀ and give police the tools to solve more cases. “Not only Shakeem’s case, but others too,” she says.
As of the latest available reports, no arrests have been made in connection with Shakeem Charles’s Mᴜʀᴅᴇʀ . Senior police sources have denied claims circulating on social media about potential suspects being in custody.
Rodney Charles MP, a cousin of the victim Rahmeem Charles has questioned why there have been no arrests in the case.
He said Shakeem’s Mᴜʀᴅᴇʀ should be easily solvable, given the wealth of evidential facts.
He questioned whether the TTPS has been able to follow the GPS tracks of Shakeem’s vehicle or review CCTV footage from the road network. He also asked if a warrant was issued to search the home of Shakeem’s passenger, if their phone calls were reviewed, if fingerprints were taken from the vehicle, and if evidence from obtained from cameras at the ATM where a withdrawal was made.
He also wondered if the passenger could not be identified from the Ride Share app. TT RideShare has been working closely with the TTPS, sharing all metadata from the application connected to Shakeem’s account to aid the investigation.
Charles is adamant that this Mᴜʀᴅᴇʀ cannot be dismissed as another random occurrence. He stressed that the perpetrators must not be allowed to feel emboldened by poor detection rates and an inefficient police force.
He criticised empty platitudes and ineffective measures to solve crime, noting that T&T has four times the number of police per capita compared to Toronto, yet a significantly lower detection rate.
In the fictional Mᴜʀᴅᴇʀ In Paradise, usually an expert detective is brought in from London’s Scotland Yard to help out local detectives, but in real life Trinidad’s Police are overwhelmed with a tidal wave of Mᴜʀᴅᴇʀ and have nowhere to turn to for extra help.
