A South Florida airplane mechanic whose decomposed body was found dumped in the Florida Everglades was murdered over a $315,000 debt that was owed to him by one of the three men charged in his killing, new court documents show.
Authorities on Monday announced the arrests in the kidnapping and murder of 36-year-old Suren Seetal, who worked as a mechanic at Opa-locka Airport and Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport and also had a fireworks business, and who had disappeared on Nov. 2.
Watch NBC6 free wherever you are
>
WATCH HEREA federal grand jury on Monday indicted 24-year-old Avin "Smalls" Seetaram, 29-year-old Somjeet Christopher "Lil Chris" Singh, and 18-year-old Gavin Hunter on charges of murder for hire conspiracy, murder for hire, kidnapping conspiracy, kidnapping, and obstruction of justice for their involvement in Seetal's killing.
According to an affidavit released Tuesday, Seetal's partially decomposed body was found Nov. 21 in a wooded area at Big Cypress Reservation with a gunshot wound to the head.
Get local news you need to know to start your day with NBC 6's News Headlines newsletter.
>
SIGN UP
His last contact had been a phone call with his girlfriend on Nov. 2, and his family reported him missing after he never came home and didn't show up at work.
The affidavit said Seetal, Seetaram and Singh all know each other and work in the fireworks business.
Local
On Nov. 2, Seetal and Seetaram had been in communication on Nov. until Seetal's phone went off network that night, the affidavit said.
At one point on Nov. 2, Seetaram sent Seetal a photo of a key inside a drawer, the affidavit said. Seetal's phone had also communicated with Singh's that day, the affidavit said.
Seetal's phone showed that after he left work he was at an HVAC business in Broward that's operated by Singh, the affidavit said.
His phone stayed in the vicinity of the business until it moved to another location and went off network, and hasn't come back on network since that night, the affidavit said.
SunPass records showed Seetal's vehicle was towed from the HVAC business around 2:15 a.m. on Nov. 3 by an unmarked black tow truck driven by an employee of Singh's cousin, the affidavit said.
Later on Nov. 3, security footage showed Seetaram and Singh buying a 96-gallon yardwaste cart at a Home Depot, the affidavit said.
On the morning of Nov. 4, Seetaram's phone was traveling west on Alligator Alley toward the vicinity where the victim's body was later discovered, the affidavit said.
Seetaram initially told law enforcement he was home sick all night on Nov. 2, but later admitted that he and Singh lured Seetal to the HVAC business because Singh said the victim owed him a large money debt, the affidavit said.
When Seetal arrived at the business, a third man, believed to be Hunter, shot and killed him, the affidavit said.
But law enforcement found Seetal's notebook related to his fireworks business and it showed Singh owed Seetal around $315,000, the affidavit said.
Seetal's girlfriend said he had begun trying to collect his debts, the affidavit said.
Seetaram and Singh were arrested back on Nov. 21, and Hunter was arrested Friday, records showed.
Seetaram's Facebook page showed he posted missing flyers for Seetal in the days after his disappearance.
An attorney for Seetaram released a statement on Tuesday.
"We extend our sincere condolences to the Seetal family. It's still very early, but I have been in regular communication with the Government since my client's arrest, and working diligently with the Government to understand the allegations and reach a just and expeditious resolution to this serious matter," the statement read, in part.
