The grieving household of the South African “golden woman” crew member discovered lifeless 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 strategy of bringing their child woman residence,” the Day by day Mail reported.
“Our household is going through an unimaginable journey,” Bell’s sister, Chelsey Jacobs, mentioned in an announcement, including that her household is “in search of 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 extra accidents discovered on her arms, suggesting she tried to fend off her alleged attacker, in keeping with the Mail.
As a result of her physique was discovered partially dressed, officers consider Munoz might have sexually assaulted Bell, however he has solely been charged with homicide thus far.
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 every 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 woman” by family members, whereas former employers within the yachting world additionally spoke glowingly of her, in keeping with the UK outlet.
“Paige was greater than a teammate, she was household,” wrote a crew member from one in all her former boats, Candy Emocean.
“From day one her vibrant vitality and positivity shone by means of, she was beloved 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.
