Minnesota comedian Tou Ger Xiong, 50, has been found dead after a kidnapping in Medellín, Colombia.

According to his roommate in Colombia, he was kidnapped and was held for a $2,000 ransom. He was later found dead in a wooded area.

Xiong was in Colombia meeting a woman he was chatting with online. However, it is unknown if the woman is linked to the murder.

According to family members, Xiong has been in contact with the woman prior to the trip, and made multiple trips to Colombia, never feeling unsafe and had several friends. 

Born in Laos, Xiong immigrated to the United States when he was young. A resident of the Twin Cities, he helped found Hmong Minnesota Day at the Minnesota State Fair.

On Saturday, hundreds of mourners attended a memorial service for Xiong in Minneapolis. “He was someone who was just this bright, incredible light,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) said at the service.

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