A well known taxi-man was brutally killed inside his yard early Saturday morning. The body of 37 year old David Gabourel was found near the doorstep of his home on Kelly Street. He had been savagely assaulted and brutally killed. 7NEWS was on the scene on Saturday morning.
Keith Swift Reporting,
7NEWS was there early Saturday morning as Kelly Street residents woke up to the news that their well known resident 37 year old David Gabourel had been killed. His body was behind the fence, inside his yard at 63 Kelly Street. His hands were reportedly tied and he had stab wounds to the
back of the neck, the chest area, and the upper back. After the scene was processed, his body was removed.
David’s aunt Jennifer De Costa was one of the first family members on the scene. She was also the last family member to see David alive. That was at 3 am, less than two hours before his death. Today she spoke to us off camera.
Jennifer De Costa, Aunt of David Gabourel
“The last time I see David Gabourel my nephew was when he took me to hospital. I sent to call him and I asked him tom drop me to hospital because my grand baby was sick and he said to let’s go. And then he came back about minutes to three and he asked if we were ready and I said no and he went home. From then I didn’t see him, the morning when I woke up, they told me he was dead in the yard and I went to see if it was true and he was under blood.”
David Gabourel was pronounced dead in his yard - in front of the house he had lived in for a year. David’s younger sister Hellena Ferguson believes the motive for the brutal killing was robbery.
Hellena Ferguson, Sister of Gabourel
“They robbed him. It looked like the person went to the house and he opened the door and I guess they started to struggle with him and started
to beat him and fight him because he had some scratches across the face and his face is also swelled up. It looks like he went outside to finish the fighting and right from there they stabbed him in the neck and the lower back.”
Keith Swift,
So you believe someone came to the door?
Hellena Ferguson,
“Yes somebody went to the house because he opened the door for that person but at the same time he opened the door and saw that person’s face, then they struggled and the fight started to take place. For what, I don’t know.”
Keith Swift,
You know what all was stolen?
Hellena Ferguson,
“Well they stole some items out of the house yes, DVD, the VCR, his game, I guess money because in the house he didn’t have anything, they cleaned it out.”
Police agree that robbery seems to be the motive but others close to David Gabourel say he was threatened as recently as Friday night -and it had nothing to do with robbery.
Roy Bullet Craig, Friend of David Gabourel
“I am not triggered off that it was a robbery, it looks that way to me. It looks vicious for someone to attack you from the back.”
But whatever the motive was, David Gabourel who, when he wasn’t working at Coye Funeral’s Parlor was running taxi from Cinderella Plaza, died a horrible death. For Dave Coye to whom David was like a son – it was a shock.
David Coye, Friend of Deceased
“This week no work; no work this week. David like what some people
say, I had him under my wings from he was 12 years old. It is very rough. He was a kind guy. The kids loved him. Most people would call him ‘lil bwoy’ or so but he is a man, 36 years old, but the heart he had was like a kind, very very kind.”
Those who lived next to, worked with, and knew David agree.
Noel Alamilla, Friend of Deceased
“He doesn’t mess with nobody. He is one man who keeps to himself. If you don’t say hello to him, he doesn’t say hello to you. I don’t know the man’s personal life and thing but he was straight and everybody around here knew him good and thing. It shocked everybody. He didn’t give trouble or anything.”
Roy Bullet Craig,
“I knew this kid for about 27 years, I knew him from he was small. His father was a taxi driver out here and David was a good guy. He started helping out with Coye over there at the Funeral Parlour and then he did his taxi driving out here in the evening. I knew he was a good guy and he made a lot of friends.”
Hellena Ferguson,
“My brother David Gabourel, he is someone who doesn’t fool around. He doesn’t mess around; he is from work to home and work to home. He does his day’s work and in the evening he goes home and he just sits and relaxes and he goes into his taxi job and from there he goes home. When he doesn’t have anything to do or he doesn’t feel like driving taxi he just hangs out at the Plaza with the rest of taxi drivers.”
David Coye,
“He didn’t really deserve that at all. It is a pity the country get lawless now. It seems we have no help. I don’t know what we need to do next man.”
Reporting for 7NEWS, Keith Swift.
David Gabourel had no children and was never married. He had a girlfriend who declined to speak to us today. Police are investigating but have not made any arrests. Gabourel was driving a grey Ford Escort Wagon which was stolen from in front of his home after he was killed. It was recovered Saturday morning on Simon Lamb Street. Police have not made any arrests.
