Minnesota comedian Tou Ger Xiong posted pictures with his Colombian girlfriends, including a sexy redhead, before police say he was lured by a femme fatale, kidnapped and murdered this week. This came as Xiong's brother confirmed to DailyMail.com that the comedian knew the woman who lured him to his tragic death.
Xiong, 50, had been in Medellín, Colombia, since November 29 and went out with the woman on Sunday night. He was then reportedly subjected to repeated beatings, stabbed over a dozen times, and subsequently dumped in a ravine. The body of the Hmong activist was found on Monday in the Medellín neighborhood of Robledo. Police have launched an investigation.
Lured to Death by Woman He Knew
Xiong was photographed smiling alongside an unnamed redhead while dining at a Korean restaurant in Medellin on October 20. In a video posted on his Facebook account, Xiong remarked, "This is Korean food, with my girl," as he showed his bowl of beef soup.
The video then panned to capture the smiling redhead with a distinctive neck tattoo reading "Never Give Up" seated across the table.
Employees at the Korean restaurant confirmed to The New York Post that the duo had recently dined there together.
However, there is currently no suggestion that the woman seen with Xiong in the photos is the same person allegedly connected to his disappearance and tragic fate. But his brother claims that Xiong knew the woman who lured him to his death.
A person was arrested on Wednesday near the location where Xiong's body was found.
Xiong, who resided in Woodbury, Minnesota, had met the person in question during one of his earlier visits to the Colombian city, which he had grown to appreciate for its culture.
"He came home and actually showed me the photo," Xiong's brother Eh Xiong told DailyMail.com during a photo interview Thursday.
"He had been in contact with this woman before, and she was part of the 'new friends' he made on his trips down there," Eh Xiong said of his brother's fatal trip.
"He was aware of it," Eh Xiong said. "But he's one of those people who only assumes the best in people."
"It's almost like a second home, he loved it there."
Planned Kidnap and Murder
While staying at his friend's home in Colombia, Tou Ger Xiong continued to focus on his day trading gigs. During the evenings, he and his friend would explore the city's restaurants and bars in the lively district.
"Unfortunately, he was set up. We believe that," Eh Xiong said. "We're letting law enforcement do the work. But the individuals that he met he knew from the previous encounter from his previous trip."
In a Facebook post from last summer, now carrying an eerie tone, Tou Ger Xiong stood between two elegantly dressed women, accompanied by a caption in which he jokingly wrote, "In the event I get kidnapped, don't look for me. I am happy."
It remains unclear whether the woman in the picture had any involvement in his tragic kidnapping this week.
The comedian had come back to Medellin earlier this month, telling friends of his plans to meet a woman he had been communicating with online.
While the police have not disclosed the identity of the woman involved in the kidnapping plot, they have confirmed the arrest of a female believed to be involved, based on recent pictures found on his phone.
On December 10, at around 7 p.m. local time, Xiong called his roommate in Colombia, saying that a group of men had him at gunpoint and had kidnapped him.
The group demanded a $2,000 ransom (8 Colombian pesos) for his release, as reported by local newspaper El Colombiano.
However, the reported ransom exchange never took place, and Xiong was later found in a ravine, having succumbed to multiple stab wounds and blunt force trauma.
Xiong amassed a huge following within the Hmong community due to his quick wit and humor. He used his comedic talents to explore cultural differences and address issues of racism, as mentioned by Eh Xiong in an interview with The New York Post.
In one of his final Facebook posts, Xiong penned a poignant and heartfelt caption: "Sometimes relationships end. Family members can grow apart, best friends break up, divorce happens, and work colleagues get fired. That's life."
