US Comic in Colombia, Kidnapped After Date Night in Medellin, Found Dead With Stab Wounds – News18

An American comedian and activist was found dead with multiple stab wounds after he was kidnapped during a trip to Colombia, The New York Post has reported. Tou Ger Xiong, 50, who hails from the US state of Minnesota, was on vacation in the South American country when the incident happened.

His brother, Eh Xiong, confirmed the news of his death on his social media account. The family issued a statement, urging anyone with information to come forward. “It is with immense sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the discovery of the body of our beloved family member,” the Xiong family statement reads. “Tou Ger Xiong was a cherished member of our family, and the pain of his loss is indescribable.”

According to the Colombian newspaper El Colombiano, Tou Ger Xiong arrived in Medellin, on November 29 for holidays. On December 10, he decided to meet a woman he connected with on social media. Shortly after meeting the mystery woman, he was attacked and kidnapped by a group of men.

They held him hostage and contacted his family and friends, demanding a ransom of $2,000 (8 million Colombian Pesos). They killed him a day later without collecting the money. Xiong’s lifeless body was discovered in the La Corcovado ravine, showing signs of multiple stab wounds and blunt-force trauma.

US media reports said that authorities are investigating whether an escape attempt led to his murder. Upon finding Xiong’s body, the police visited his apartment and encountered a woman removing items from his room. She fled when authorities attempted to question her.

US Representative Betty McCollum extended condolences, saying the devastating news deeply affected the Hmong community. “This is devastating news. My heart goes out to Tou Ger Xiong’s family & our entire Hmong community. As a comedian and activist, his work touched many lives in the Twin Cities and beyond,” McCollum wrote on X.

Tou Ger Xiong, a Laotian-American comedian based in St. Paul, Minnesota, was renowned for advocating for the Hmong people, an indigenous group primarily residing in Southeast Asia. The latest incident adds to concerns about rising kidnappings in Colombia, with El Colombiano reporting three American tourists, including Xiong, murdered in the past month.