The grieving household of the South African “golden lady” crew member discovered useless within the Bahamas have traveled to the Caribbean nation to face the superyacht engineer accused of sexually assaulting and murdering their daughter.
Paige Bell was discovered partially undressed within the ship’s engine room on July 3 — simply days earlier than her twenty first birthday — with Mexican nationwide Brigido Munoz, 40, charged along with her homicide earlier than a Nassau courtroom on Wednesday.
Because the grizzly particulars of her demise had been recounted earlier than the courtroom, the sufferer’s mother and father, Michelle and John Bell, had been on the island to “start the painful means of bringing their child lady dwelling,” the Every day Mail reported.
“Our household is going through an unimaginable journey,” Bell’s sister, Chelsey Jacobs, mentioned in a press release, including that her household is “looking for justice for the monster that took her life.”
Throughout Wednesday’s listening to, the courtroom heard that Bell was discovered with slash wounds on her neck, with further accidents discovered on her arms, suggesting she tried to fend off her alleged attacker, in response to the Mail.
As a result of her physique was discovered partially dressed, officers imagine Munoz could have sexually assaulted Bell, however he has solely been charged with homicide up to now.
Police discovered Munoz with accidents round his arms, describing them on account of a suicide try. He was hospitalized earlier than being charged.
The 2 crew members labored aboard the Far From It superyacht, which ran charters for practically $140,000 per week. On the time of Bell’s demise, the ship was anchored off Harbour Island.
A local of Johannesburg, Bell was remembered as a “golden lady” by family members, whereas former employers within the yachting world additionally spoke glowingly of her, in response to the UK outlet.
“Paige was greater than a teammate, she was household,” wrote a crew member from one in every of her former boats, Candy Emocean.
“From day one her vibrant vitality and positivity shone by way of, she was liked by her crew members. To not point out being a rockstar in visitor relations,” Stephanus Coetzer, one other Candy Emocean wrote on Fb.
Coetzer mentioned it was Bell’s dream to rise to the highest as a supervisor of a yacht crew, and pushed others to aspire to be their finest.
A GoFundMe was set as much as assist the household retrieve Bell’s physique and pay for the funeral bills.
Precisely what led to her demise stays unclear, and police are nonetheless investigating.
Munoz was denied bail and can stay jailed till his Nov. 20 listening to, officers mentioned.
