Gardener Adio Julien was dragged for almost a mile and dumped in a muddy pond after he was shot once on Wednesday night.

Police used flashlights to follow a trail of blood to the pond, but were unable to search for the body until yesterday morning.

Officers cordoned off the area and guarded the scene, until daybreak when farmers assisted with draining the pond.

Julien, 30, was found at the bottom on the ten-foot deep pond, used for agriculture.

His left foot was stuck in the mud and he was shot once in the neck, police said.

He wore a pair of three-quarter pants.

The incident occurred near Julien's home at Berridge Trace, South Oropouche.

His mother, Debra Jeffrey, said her son was killed two days after a man he knew threatened to shoot him.

Jeffrey, 51, said, "(The suspect) came in front my house and show me a plastic bag with two bullets and said that was for my son. I started to cry, saying I just lose my mother and now you want to take my child from me? But he just walk out. I knew he and my son were good so I didn't really take it seriously. But I told my son and I noticed he get quiet after that."

Jeffrey, a mother of six, said her son returned around 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday and dropped off a bag.

"I watched my son walk up the road and minutes later I heard a gunshot. I told my younger son his brother now walk up the road so we went to check. There are no lights up the road. It was dark so I flashed my phone and saw the blood. We followed the blood to the pond and called the police," she said.

Investigators believe Julien was shot on the roadway, near his home, and dragged to the pond. There were bloodstains along the roadway.

A 12-gauge shotgun cartridge was found on the roadway, near a pair of leather slippers belonging to Julien.

Jeffrey said her son was involved in an altercation with a longtime friend last Friday.

"But I thought they would work that out. I never thought it would end like this," she said.

Julien was not married and had no children.

Jeffrey said, "I want young people to know that they should talk to their mothers. Let them know what is going on. My son was quiet and he kept to himself. I didn't know what was going on with him. I watch my son walk out of here and didn't know it was the last time I would be seeing him."

Police were searching for the suspect last evening.

Southwestern Division police are continuing investigations.