EXCLUSIVE Identity of superyacht engineer accused of slashing throat of 'golden girl' crew member in Bahamas revealed
Paige Bell, 20, was found dead in an engine room last Thursday when the boat was moored in tiny Harbour Island.
Fellow crew member Brigido Munoz, 39, appeared before magistrates in Nassau, the Bahamian capital, charged with murder.
The court heard his alleged victim was found partially undressed and may have been sexually assaulted.
Prosecutors said the South African had slash wounds to her neck and defensive injuries to her arms, suggesting she tried to fend off her alleged attacker.
Mexican national Munoz was not required to enter a plea.
Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley denied him bail and remanded him in custody ahead of a November 20 hearing.
Paige Bell, from Johannesburg, South Africa, was found dead on-board the luxury motorboat, Far From It, while the vessel was docked at Harbour Island last week, police confirmed.
Paige, whose family live in Durban, was due to turn 21 on July 14, with a huge celebration planned to mark her milestone birthday.
But on July 3, the popular stewardess lost her life in a tragedy which has shaken the exclusive Bahamian resort and the yachting world.
Police were alerted to an incident at the marina just after 1pm that day and boarded the 43-metre yacht, where they were told that the young woman had not been seen for a short period of time.
They found Paige unresponsive in the yacht's engine room with visible injuries, before a doctor attended the scene and confirmed she had died.
She was found near Munoz who had severe injuries to his arm in what police described as a suspected suicide attempt.
The man was apprehended, cautioned and taken to a nearby clinic for treatment, police said in a statement, before he was later charged with murder.
The circumstances surrounding Paige's death are still under investigation, police said.
Built in 2008, Far From It is a charter yacht comprising of five suites, charging wealthy clients between £100,000 and £120,000 per week for vacations.
It can host up to 10 guests and is staffed by nine permanent crew, according to its website.
Paige had previously worked on board the Motor Yacht Sweet Emocean as a crew member until December 2024.
Her former colleagues paid tribute in a post shared with a GoFundMe page set up to help 'ease the financial burden' faced by the family.
It said that she was set to celebrate her 21st birthday on July 14, just 11 days after she tragically died.
In her honor, her mother is said to have asked that 'we all eat red velvet cake (her favorite) on that day and share a photo in remembrance of the beautiful soul she was'.
'Paige was more than a teammate, she was family,' wrote 'The Bells, and Sweet Emocean Family' in their tribute.
'Her radiant spirit, infectious laughter, and boundless compassion made an unforgettable impact on everyone lucky enough to know her.
'Whether it was long days at sea or quiet moments under the stars, she brought light and warmth wherever she went.'
A friend of Paige's described the young woman as a 'golden girl' and called what had happened 'despicable'.
The GoFundMe page, which can be found here, has raised more than $42,000 of its initial $16,000 target already.
The upmarket resort of Harbour Island is a 3-mile by 1.5 mile playground for the rich and famous and a mecca for superyachts.
It lies 60 miles to the east of the capital Nassau and just off the larger island of Eleuthera.
Bill Gates has a mansion on the tiny island and regular tourists who holiday there include Mick Jagger, Prince Harry, Tom Cruise, Kardashians, Harrison Ford and Tom Hanks.
It is known as the 'Billionaires Backyard' as over 20 billionaires live there.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Teenage killer raped and murdered best friend before carrying out the unthinkable
A teenager raped and murdered his best friend in her bed before joining his victim's parents in their grief just hours later like nothing had happened. Daniel Bartelt, who was 19 at the time, killed 19-year-old University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee student Jessie Blodgett in the summer of 2013. Hours before her death, promising young musician Blodgett had been partying with her friends and fellow cast members of the Fiddler on the Roof production she had been starring in. On the night of the slaying, Bartelt snuck into her family home in Hartford, Wisconsin, where he sexually assaulted her and strangled her before then fleeing the scene. With no sign of a forced entry, Blodgett's death sparked a major whodunnit within her friendship group of fellow actors, with many of them completely at a loss at who could be behind the heinous act. Blodgett's death is put under the microscope in ID's latest episode of A Killer Among Friends, which reveals Bartelt had been behind another senseless act before he killed his best friend – but it also exposes his chilling behavior in the hours that followed. On July 15, Blodgett's mom had found her dead in her bed and immediately called the emergency services. Hours after murder, a group of Blodgett's friends – including Bartelt – returned to the site of the killing to comfort her parents amid their grief. At this point in time, nobody knew who the killer could be. 'It became tough to conceptualize who could have done this thing,' friend Ian said in the episode. 'Every person that surrounded Jessie was of, what I thought to be, great character because she bonded with great people. 'So, every stranger was a suspect and every person on the street could be guilty.' Bartelt had been at the Blodgetts' house sharing memories of the victim when he was called to come in for questioning by cops at the station. His interrogation, however, didn't raise alarm bells among his friends as they didn't suspect he had anything to do with her death. 'We expected him to be questioned because he was close to Jessie,' Jackie, another friend in the group, said. 'And when we dropped him off, he said, okay, maybe you can come and pick me up in 30 minutes?' 'We drove back to the police station to pick him up and we were met outside by a police officer asking if we were there for Dan. He had said, "we can't release Dan, he's being detained.'" The friends were left in a state of shock after learning that Bartelt had been detained. 'We couldn't picture Dan being the type of person who did this,' Ian added. And like the friend group, Blodgett's dad, Buck, refused to believe Bartelt was his daughter's killer – especially given that he had joined him just hours after her life was taken. Sharing his initial doubt in the episode, he said: 'It's not Dan, he's never been in any trouble at school or the law, that we know of. 'Jessie and Dan sit together at school; he was a straight A student... they would write songs together and sing together, he was welcome in our home. 'He was just over, the day after Jessie's murder, sharing hugs and memories and tears with us until his phone rang and he was called in for questioning.' While being completely devastated by his daughter's death, Buck was still somehow able to have compassion for her killer. 'Our first reaction wasn't, "we hate this kid," it was "oh my God, what happened to Dan?"' he said. After a 16-day police investigation, Bartelt was charged with Blodgett's murder, and in August 2014, he was convicted and sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole. He also pled guilty to first-degree reckless endangerment for tackling an unknown woman in a park to the ground while he wielded a knife just days before the murder, on July 12, 2013. When questioned by cops over the attack, he explained that it was a 'spur of the moment decision' and that he wanted to 'scare' the victim. For the attack, he was sentenced to five years' imprisonment and five years' extended supervision, to be served consecutively to his life sentence. To this day, Bartelt's motive for killing Blodgett's is unclear and he has maintained his innocence. After being convicted, he addressed Blodgett's parents, Buck and Joy, in the courtroom. Speaking to them, he said: 'I can't give you the answers that you're looking for. 'I pray for you, for all of you, and I hope that — I believe that — someday we will be before a court that will know that my conscience is clear.' A Killer Among Friends airs Mondays at 10/9c on ID, with new episodes weekly. Episodes will be available to stream on HBO Max.
Daily Mail
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Chilling moment murderer tells police 'I've killed someone' - as he faces life in jail for stabbing woman to death then sexually assaulting her corpse
This is the chilling moment a man casually admits murdering a family friend in a 'barbaric' knife attack, as he faces life in prison for stabbing her and sexually assaulting her corpse. Ernestas Juska stabbed 39-year-old Nina Denisova to death with a large kitchen blade as she slept in bed. The 21-year-old also admitted sexually abusing his victim after killing her at his home in Dartford, Kent. He then approached a member of the public and told them to call the police as he had killed someone. In bodycam footage Juska is seen sitting cross-legged on the floor as an officer approaches him, asking: 'What's going on, lad?'. 'I killed someone,' he casually replies. Juska today admitted charges of murder and committing a sexual offence against a deceased female at Maidstone Crown Court, and will be sentenced in November. He was arrested on the morning of August 17 last year, after approaching a member of the public on the street and telling them to call the police as he'd killed someone. Juska was detained by officers at a bus stop before directing officers to the crime scene at his nearby home. In the bodyworn footage, Juska is heard telling an officer of his victim: '[She's] a friend of my mum's' and that her body was 'in the house'. Upon entering the property, officers found the 39-year-old victim dead on a bed, having suffered multiple stab wounds. When arrested and taken into custody, Juska told officers the victim was a family friend who had been staying in his house overnight. He said he killed her as he wanted to 'lash out', and that it had been important she wasn't someone who was close to him. In police interviews, Juska also spoke of the 'excitement' he'd felt in the moments leading up to the murder, and explained that he'd consumed alcohol and cocaine on the evening prior to the attack. At around 6.40am on the morning of the murder, he chose a knife from the kitchen and, after climbing the stairs, entered a bedroom and attacked his victim as she slept. He also admitted that he later went on to sexually abuse her. Det Sgt Max Gregory, of Kent Police, described Juska's crimes as 'senseless', saying: 'The depravity of Juska's actions is almost indescribable. 'He inflicted horrific injuries upon his defenceless victim and admitted he had no real motive for killing her other than wanting to harm someone who wasn't related to him. 'During police interviews he spoke of the excitement he felt in the moments leading up to this barbaric murder. 'For Juska to then commit further heinous acts on the deceased woman is beyond comprehension. 'Juska's crimes have ultimately led to the senseless loss of a beloved daughter and sister and our thoughts remain with her family.'
Daily Mail
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Evil socialite who slaughtered two young brothers while racing her Mercedes makes entitled new demand from jail
A socialite who murdered two young brothers with her Mercedes while racing her lover has demanded that her civil trial over the killings be moved because of 'sensationalized' media coverage of her appalling crimes. Rebecca Grossman, 62, says she should not be tried in Los Angeles County after the parents of victims Jacob Iskaner, 8, and his 11 year-old brother Mark sued her for damages over the boys' September 2020 killings in Westlake Village, LA. A new filing seen by the Daily Breeze said: 'This court is requested to issue an order changing the place of trial for this action because an impartial trial cannot be had in Los Angeles County and the nearby vicinities.' Lawyers for Grossman, who is serving 15 years to life for two counts of second-degree murder, went on to claim that the 'impartial and sensationalized media reporting meant to invoke outrage'. They added that the description of millionaire plastic surgeon's wife Grossman as a 'wealthy socialite' means she 'will not have a shot at an impartial jury unless venue for trial is moved outside of Los Angeles County to a neutral country.' Grossman's legal team concluded their request by asking for a location 'where the same local media is not as invested in creating sensationalized content drawing upon such bias.' In a further play for sympathy, Grossman's lawyers claimed her family had received death threats as a result of coverage of the case. They also shared results of polling claiming that 44 percent of LA County residents recognized Grossman's name, while just 17 percent of those polled in neighboring Tulane County knew who she was. A decision on whether to move the civil case will be made at a later date. Grossman's latest attempts to shirk responsibility for her evil crimes will likely further outrage parents Karim and Nancy Iskaner, whose children died horrifically under the wheels of the blonde socialite's powerful Mercedes. Mark and Jacob were killed after Grossman raced former Major League Baseball star Scott Erickson home from a margarita-fueled lunch. The pair were lovers. Grossman's esteemed plastic surgeon husband Dr Peter Grossman claimed he and his wife were separated at the time. But Dr Grossman was in court every day of her murder trial and at her June 2024 sentencing. Grossman didn't stop after striking the boys with her Mercedes while doing 80mph in a 45mph zone, sending one of the youngster's broken bodies flying 250 feet into the air. The socialite kept driving even after the car's air bags deployed and was only brought to a halt when its engine automatically shut off because of the damage the vehicle sustained. Grossman claimed to have reached out to NASA and SpaceX to try and get satellite data after claiming she feared something had fallen on her car. During her trial, her lawyer sought to create doubt by suggesting that it was actually Erikson who'd struck the brothers. The outlandish assertion was made despite the obvious and devastating damage to the front of Grossman's Mercedes. Grossman was even accused of getting her devoted daughter Alexis to perjure herself. Alexis claimed on the witness stand that she'd witnessed her mom's lover Erickson hiding in a nearby bush as Grossman was arrested. She also told the court that Erickson later threatened the family to keep quiet about his involvement - claims which prosecutors insist were completely fictitious. Grossman was accused of trying to find out about jurors to sway them during her trial. After being convicted, she pleaded for parole and managed to get a considerably shorter sentence than the 34 maximum a judge could have imposed on her. She wrote a self-pitying letter to Mark and Jacob's parents and sent a necklace with the boys' birth stone to try and curry favor. Even after being convicted and jailed, Grossman refused to take responsibility and continues to insist that she is the victim of a miscarriage of justice. Grossman launched one appeal against her conviction shortly after her sentencing in June 2024 but was denied a new trial. Another appeal was filed in April 2025. It insists that she did not flee the crash and that her mowing down of the two children does not meet the definition of murder. The civil suit, originally filed in Van Nuys Superior Court in January 2021, names both Grossman and her former lover Erickson, 56. Grossman's husband Peter, 61, is also named in the suit as the owner of the Mercedes that hit the boys and the one who paid the insurance on the vehicle. The Grossmans are estimated to have a $20 million fortune and the Iskanders case against them will almost certainly result in an enormous payout.
