A 20-year-old woman has been found dead onboard a luxury yacht that was docked in the Bahamas. Authorities confirmed there were ‘visible signs of injuries’ on her body.Paige Bell, who was only a few days away from turning 21, was discovered in the engine room. According to a statement from the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) on Facebook, she was reportedly found partially unclothed and in the presence of a male suspect.
Local police said they first received the alert about an incident on the yacht, Far From It, on July 3 at around 1:00 p.m. local time.
After boarding the yacht, which was moored at the marina, officers located Bell—originally from South Africa and working as a stewardess—unconscious and with visible injuries on her body.The RBPF added that Bell had reportedly been ‘missing for a short period’ before she was found inside the vessel’s engine room. She was with a 39-year-old man from Mexico, identified by the Daily Mail as Brigido Munoz.
A doctor was called to the scene shortly after, and sadly, Bell was pronounced dead not long after their arrival.
Paige Bell was due to turn 21 in a few days timeGoFundMe
On Wednesday, July 9, officials from the RBPF confirmed that Munoz had been brought before magistrates in Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas.He wasn’t required to enter a plea during his court appearance and was denied bail. Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley ordered that he remain in custody until a hearing scheduled for November 20.
According to prosecutors, Bell, who would have turned 21 on July 14, had suffered ‘gashes to her neck’ and had ‘defensive injuries to her arms’, suggesting she may have fought back.
The yacht was docked at Harbour Island, a location often nicknamed the ‘billionaires playground’ thanks to its history of drawing in wealthy and high-profile visitors.Far From It was built in 2008 and is known to offer luxury charter experiences, reportedly costing close to $140,000 per week to rent.
The vessel is capable of hosting up to 10 guests at once and is typically run by a full-time crew of nine, according to its official website.
Bell’s family posted a moving tribute online on July 4, just one day after her tragic passing. It read: “It is with broken hearts that we share the devastating news that our beautiful Paigey’s life was brutally taken from us last night.”“As a family, we are doing our best to process this unimaginable loss … We will leave no stone unturned until the guilty is brought to justice.”
Since the heartbreaking news, a GoFundMe page has been launched in her memory. At the time of writing, it has already raised over $45,000 in donations.
