A comedian and activist from Minnesota was found dead in Colombia this week after going on a date with a woman he’d met online.
Tou Ger Xiong, 50, who billed himself as America’s first Hmong comedian, was on vacation in Medellín when he and the unnamed woman made plans to meet up on Sunday, according to El Colombiano. A refugee from Laos originally, Tou Ger developed a devoted fan base in the Twin Cities for his work promoting diversity; he traveled across the country performing skits and giving motivational speeches at schools, conferences, and businesses.
After the date, he was kidnapped by “several men” who began demanding ransom from his family.
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His brother, Eh Xiong, said the last time he’d spoken to him was Sunday night, when Tou Ger asked him for $2,000, KARE 11 reported. Tou Ger also reportedly phoned a friend in Colombia to report that he was being “held at gunpoint,” prompting the friend to alert police.
“I said, ‘When do you want it?’ And he said, ‘I want it now because I’m in a bit of a situation here,’” his brother recalled, explaining that he couldn’t send the money right away since he was boarding a flight. By the next morning, he said, his brother had stopped responding to messages.
It was around that time that local authorities found Tou Ger’s body in a ravine near an apartment building, with multiple stab wounds and blunt force trauma. Investigators reportedly suspect he was murdered by his captors during a botched escape attempt.
At least one of the suspected kidnappers has been taken into custody, according to his brother. “They found some clothes, blood, you know, on the bag, and they were able to confiscate that and apprehend one of the suspects,” Eh told KSTP-TV.
Police said a woman was reported stealing things from the apartment where Tou Ger was staying around the same time his body was found, but she managed to flee by the time authorities arrived.
His family is now left reeling from the tragic turn of events.
“The pain of his loss is indescribable. We extend our deepest gratitude to all who have offered their condolences, thoughts, and prayers,” Tou Ger’s family said in a statement shared on social media.
Tou Ger devoted his life to “fighting for the underprivileged,” his brother said, working as a motivational speaker and activist. His death sent shockwaves through the Hmong American community in the Twin Cities and prompted an outpouring of tributes.
“This is a heartbreaking tragedy. Tou Ger was an incredible person who was constantly working to uplift his community,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) said in a statement to KSTP.
“My office is in contact with Tou Ger’s family and the embassy in Colombia as they work to bring his body back to Minnesota. My thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones during this difficult time.”
