A 20-year-old South African woman was found dead aboard a luxury superyacht in the Bahamas, leading to a murder charge against a fellow crewmember.
The victim, identified by her family as Paige Bell of Johannesburg, was a stewardess on the vessel. According to the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF), she was discovered with visible injuries in the yacht’s engine room on July 3, while it was docked at a marina off Harbour Island.
Authorities were called to the scene after Bell was reported missing shortly before 1:00 p.m. Upon arrival, officers found her unresponsive. A 39-year-old man was also present, suffering from severe arm injuries that police believe resulted from a suicide attempt. Bell was pronounced dead on board by a local doctor.
The man was later identified in a Nassau court as Brigido Muñoz, a Mexican national who worked as an engineer on the vessel. Police stated that after receiving medical treatment, Muñoz was taken into custody and charged with murder on July 9. He was denied bail and is scheduled to return to court on November 20.
In a family statement, Bell’s relatives described her death as “brutal” and vowed to “leave no stone unturned until the guilty is brought to justice.” Her sister, Chelsey, confirmed on social media that their parents were traveling to the Bahamas to repatriate their daughter’s body and seek justice.
A GoFundMe page organized by friends and colleagues has raised over $42,000 to assist the family with travel and legal costs. The fundraiser noted that Bell, who would have turned 21 just 11 days after her death, was remembered by former crewmates as being “more than a teammate — she was family.”
The RBPF has confirmed that the murder investigation remains active but has not released a potential motive.
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