According to authorities, a 20-year-old woman’s body was discovered with “visible signs of injuries” on a docked yacht in the Bahamas.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) posted on Facebook that Paige Bell, who was only a few days away from turning 21, was found half naked in an engine room “with a male suspect present.”
It is believed that on July 3 at 1:00 PM local time, police were first notified of an incident aboard the Far From It.
Officers found South African stewardess Bell “unresponsive with visible signs of injuries” when she boarded the marina-based ship.
The victim was “missing for a short period,” according to the RBPF, before being discovered in the engine room of the 43-meter ship with a 39-year-old Mexican man named Brigido Munoz, as reported by the Daily Mail.
It is said that shortly after they arrived, a doctor who had been sent to the site declared Bell dead.
According to the RBPF, Munoz appeared before magistrates in Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, on Wednesday, July 9.
He has been refused bail and was not compelled to enter a plea. Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley has remanded Munoz in detention pending his hearing on November 20.
According to the outlet, prosecutors claim that the young woman, who would have been celebrating her 21st birthday on July 14, was discovered with “defensive injuries to her arms” and “gashes to her neck.”
Because the location has historically drawn A-list clients, Harbour Island, where the ship was docked, is more often known as “billionaires playground.”
Built in 2008, the ship commanded weekly rental rates of around $140,000.
According to its website, the ship has nine regular crew members and can accommodate up to 10 guests at once.
Bell served as a crew member on the Motor Yacht Sweet Emocean until December 2024 prior to joining Far From It.
A former colleague of Bell has described her as ‘family’, writing, “Her radiant spirit, infectious laughter, and boundless compassion made an unforgettable impact on everyone lucky enough to know her.”
On July 4, a tribute was posted online by Bell’s family which 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 Bell’s untimely passing, a GoFundMe has been established, and as of this writing, it has raised over $45,000. Donations can be made here.
