Woodbury man found dead in Colombia under suspicious circumstances

WOODBURY, Minn. (FOX 9) - Many in Minnesota’s Hmong community are overwhelmed with grief as they reflect on the life of Tou Ger Xiong – a Woodbury man who was found dead in Colombia under suspicious circumstances.

The devastating news spread quickly on Tuesday. The 50-year-old man was killed after being kidnapped and held for ransom during a trip. 

Known by many as, "the life of the party," Tou drew people together. The community activist and Carleton College political science grad dedicated his life to bridging cultures and speaking for those without a voice, according to his family.

Now, Tou’s older brother Eh Xiong is learning gruesome details about his younger brother’s death.

"Blunt force trauma to the head, and they tossed him over a bridge," Eh told FOX 9.

University of Minnesota regent Bo Thao-Urabe, a lifelong friend of Xiong, is overwhelmed by the details, saying, "I just went blank for a minute, like I don’t believe this. How do we know for sure?"

Minutes away from Tou’s home, his brother says he can’t stop looking out of the front door. He expects Tou to return at any moment, even as a harsh new reality begins to set in, and their focus shifts.

"We have full confidence in the Colombian police that they’ll find the people who did this to him, and bring them to justice," Eh said. "Rather than grieving over the loss of his life, we want to celebrate what he has done, and what he could be doing to help the community moving forward."

Tou’s family is now in the process of creating a foundation in his name, through which they hope to offer scholarships and assistance to those in need.