Police over in the Bahamas confirmed that 20-year-old Paige Bell had died. They found her in the engine room of a superyacht.
The news broke on July 3, not long after people started to notice she was missing.
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The body was discovered on a yacht in a high-end harbor
Around 1pm that day, officers on Eleuthera Island found Paige’s body on the yacht, which was docked at Harbour Island. That spot’s often called a “billionaire’s playground” thanks to all the luxury around there.
The Royal Bahamas Police said in a Facebook post that Paige was “unresponsive with visible signs of injuries.” They also said there was a man there with her who had “severe injuries to his arms.”
Police are treating this as a homicide. They believe it might have also been a suicide attempt.
Paige had her 21st birthday just around the corner
Paige was from Johannesburg, South Africa. She had only a few days left before turning 21 on July 14.
She had been working on luxury yachts
According to 9News, Paige had worked as a stewardess before on a yacht called Sweet Emocean. Then she joined the crew of another yacht, Far From It.
That one’s a 43-meter luxury motor yacht, and it costs at least $140,000 a week to rent.
Her family broke the news with a heartbreaking post
Paige’s family shared the news on Facebook on July 4.
They wrote: “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.”
Friends and coworkers shared their memories of her
Her old crew from Sweet Emocean set up a GoFundMe page after she died. On the page, they called her a “beautiful soul.”
“Paige was more than a teammate, she was family,” the page said.
“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.”
Her mom asked people to honor her in a sweet way
Paige’s mom asked anyone who wanted to remember her to eat her favorite cake, red velvet, on her birthday.
Police said she had been missing only briefly
The police said they got the call shortly after 1pm local time. When they showed up, they found Paige in the engine room.
A local doctor came out and confirmed she had died.
They mentioned Paige had only been missing a short while before she was found. Later reports said she had slash wounds on her neck and arms, which looked like she may have tried to fight back.
The man who was with her is a Mexican national.
A suspect was arrested and is now facing trial
When police got there, the man was taken into custody and brought to a nearby clinic for treatment.
Then on July 9, police said that a 39-year-old man from Mexico had been officially charged with murder. His name is Brigido Munoz, according to the news.
Our News reported that he went to court and was denied bail. He’s supposed to appear in court again on November 20.