US Comedian Abducted and Slain After Trying to Meet Social Media Contact

(NationRise.com) – American comedian Tou Ger Xiong was abducted and brutally killed after going on a date with a woman he met on a dating app while on vacation in Medellin, Colombia. The 50-year-old comedian arrived in the Colombian city on November 29, as he was going to spend the holidays with his family. According to different reports, he came into contact with the Colombian woman on December 9 and was kidnapped by a group of men when he was going to meet her.

At 7 pm local time, Xiong called a friend in the South American nation, saying that his kidnappers were demanding $2,000 in cash so he could be released. Media outlet KSTP said that the comedian also told his friend that the kidnappers were pointing a gun at his head. His friend filed the police report as soon as the call ended.

Local officials told the media outlet that, hours earlier, some police officers were at the apartment he rented in Medellin because a woman was stealing some items from the residence. The officials explained that the woman ran off before the officers could detain her.

Colombian newspaper El Colombiano reported that authorities found Xiong’s body lying in a ravine with nearly 20 stab wounds and multiple bruises that were caused by a fall from nearly 70 feet. Local law enforcement told the newspaper that the kidnappers killed the comedian before any payment was made.

During an interview with KSTP, Xiong’s brother Eh said that Colombian police already apprehended one of the suspected kidnappers. He told the media outlet he still can’t believe his brother was killed, and said he believes that Xiong will be “knocking on the door” at any moment.

The comedian was born in Laos in 1973, at a time when his father was working with the CIA. He immigrated to St. Paul, Minnesota in 1992, where he started his comedy career, becoming one of the main stars of the local scene.

Minnesota Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar said in a statement that what happened to Xiong was a “heartbreaking tragedy,” as he was an “incredible person” who always made his biggest effort to “uplift his community.”