CASES UPDATE
Family and friends of missing Brit Sarm Heslop have told reporters they believe she was murdered.
Air hostess Sarm, 41, from Southampton, disappeared from boyfriend Ryan Bane’s boat in the US Virgin Islands after anight out in March 2021. There has been no trace of her since, and no arrests have been made. Speaking on the third anniversary of her disappearance, friend Vicki Mogridge-Percy told ITV News Meridian, “I think we lost her through murder, and we want the classification to change from amissing person to murder, as it would be done here.”
Supporters of the #FindSarm campaign claim the Virgin Islands Police Department have completely failed to investigate Sarm’s disappearance. And in an open letter to US President Joe Biden last month, Sarm’s mother Brenda Street wrote, “I have reached the end of my patience and trust with the US Virgin Islands Police Department (USVIPD) who have neglected from the outset to communicate and carry out basic police duties. When Imet with the USVIPD in March 2022, and questioned their lack of action on that fateful night, they looked me in the eye and admitted ‘forgetting to call the coast guard, that was our fault, we forgot to do it’. This was their first admittance of failing to carry out their duties. Their communication since has been appalling and my daughter’s case is riddled with failures.” She then called upon the President “parent to parent” to appoint agovernment agency to investigate the case, and appealed for Ryan to come forward for formal questioning.
Ryan has insisted he is innocent of any wrongdoing, and his lawyer said, “Mr Bane understands and empathises with [their] pain and frustration. He called 911 immediately upon waking and finding Sarm was not on board. He took his dinghy to shore to meet with VIPD that night, and called the US Coast Guard the next day. He also had the USCG on his vessel twice.”
The family are still appealing for witnesses and areward is offered for information leading to a breakthrough. Email Crime Stoppers USVI at Crimestoppersvi.org/contact.
GABBY PARENTS BACK IN COURT OVER POLICE CULPABILITY
The parents of Gabby Petito have had the delay on their $50million wrongful death lawsuit against the Moab Police lifted and returned to court.
Gabby, 22, was beaten and strangled to death by partner Brian Laundrie, 23, in August 2021, but the couple were stopped on the highway by police afew weeks before the fatal incident. Bodycam
