Gandy Kaydea was 22 years old when he was murdered. His body was found at a historic cemetery in Providence County, Rhode Island, 10 years ago, and the person responsible for his death has yet to be brought to justice.
At around 10:30 p.m. on March 20, 2013, firefighters were called to the Pocasset Cemetery in Cranston on Dyer Avenue about a brush fire near the entrance.
When they extinguished the fire, they discovered the body, which was later identified through fingerprints as that of Kaydea.
He was living in the Providence area and had an eight-month-old daughter at the time of his death.
Kaydea was in the process of turning his life around. According to his instructor at the Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence, he was one class away from obtaining his GED.
“I think the stress of not having a place to stay recently had really taken a toll, but he would still come for the GED classes,” said the executive director of the school. “That kind of stamina is pretty great.”
“He was a leader. If someone missed a class, he would say, ‘Let’s call them.’ The teachers feel a terrible loss. His classmates feel a terrible loss.”
He was also an aspiring rapper known as “Young Shad” and had several music videos uploaded to YouTube.
According to the Medical Examiner’s Office, Kaydea’s autopsy showed that his death was caused by ligature strangulation, which occurred before his body was set on fire.
The detectives stated that it is their belief Kaydea was murdered somewhere else before his body was brought to the cemetery and set on fire.
They also believe that Kaydea’s murder may have been gang-related, as he was reportedly affiliated with the C-Block gang in Providence.
However, Kaydea’s family members stated that he wasn’t affiliated with any gangs in the area.
WPRI News reported that one relative said, “I just want them to know that he was gentle, he was loving, he was caring, he was kind.”
Anyone with information regarding the unsolved murder of Gandy Kaydea is encouraged to contact the Cranston Police Department at (401) 942-2211.