Police say a suspect is in custody as homicide detectives examine motive and timeline in Castara.
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad — Homicide detectives in Trinidad and Tobago are investigating the death of Christopher Brown, a 43-year-old builder from Silverthorne, Colorado, who was found with stab wounds late Wednesday in the seaside village of Castara on Tobago, authorities said.
Officials said Brown had been out with friends before separating from the group, and a police report noted he told them he planned to buy marijuana. The case has drawn swift attention on the tourism-dependent island, where officials said serious violence is uncommon in Castara. Police confirmed a suspect is in custody and that investigators are working to establish a motive, reconstruct Brown’s final movements and determine whether the killing was targeted or opportunistic.
According to the police report, Brown had dinner and drinks with friends in Castara on Wednesday night, then left shortly afterward. Around 10:30 p.m. local time, officers responded to a call and found Brown unresponsive with multiple wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police described a “metal object” protruding from his back and said several injuries were consistent with a stabbing. Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro said Thursday a suspect was taken into custody in connection with the case, adding that detectives were interviewing witnesses and gathering physical evidence.
The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service did not immediately release the suspect’s name or say what led investigators to the arrest. Authorities said Brown’s friends have been interviewed and that additional statements are being collected from nearby residents and business owners. The Division of Tourism and local leaders in Tobago condemned the killing, calling it the first such act of violence in Castara in recent memory and expressing sympathy to Brown’s family. Officials said investigators are reviewing security camera footage from the area, canvassing for video from private properties and awaiting preliminary forensic analyses on items recovered at the scene.
Police said they are still determining Brown’s exact movements after he left his friends and whether he encountered anyone he knew in the village. It remains unknown whether he had arranged to meet someone to purchase marijuana or whether the encounter was spontaneous. Detectives said they are examining Brown’s phone records, mapping cell pings and studying messages from Wednesday evening. Authorities have not said whether robbery is suspected or whether any of Brown’s belongings are missing. The U.S. Embassy in Port-of-Spain has been notified, and consular officials are in contact with local authorities.
Tobago, the smaller of Trinidad and Tobago’s twin islands, relies heavily on small-hotel and guesthouse tourism, especially in villages like Castara on the island’s Caribbean coast. While crimes do occur, local officials noted that homicides in the village are rare. Nationally, Trinidad and Tobago has recorded more than 330 homicides this year, and the government has maintained a state of emergency since July as part of a broader security response to organized criminal networks. Law enforcement leaders said the majority of killings are concentrated on Trinidad, the larger island, and that Tobago experiences lower levels of serious crime.
Police said the next steps include formal identification procedures, autopsy and forensic examinations, and laboratory testing of trace evidence collected from the scene and the item found lodged in Brown’s back. Detectives are compiling a full timeline from Wednesday afternoon through late night and plan to release additional details after interviews and lab results are complete. Authorities did not provide a court date or charge information for the suspect in custody but said the person remains under investigation. Any scheduling of briefings will be announced after the autopsy and evidence reviews are finished.
By late Friday, investigators said they had not publicly identified the suspect or announced a motive, and they had not disclosed whether Brown was staying in Castara or elsewhere on the island. Residents described a quiet village where fishermen bring in evening catches and sound carries along the bay. A shopkeeper said the waterfront was busy earlier that night as visitors moved between small restaurants. Tourism officials said community liaisons were assisting police and that outreach teams had been in contact with local businesses as the investigation continued.
As of Saturday morning, police said the investigation remains active, with additional witness interviews and forensic work expected this weekend. Authorities said they plan to provide an update after the autopsy and evidence tests, with the next formal milestone anticipated early next week.
Author note: Last updated November 29, 2025.