BIMINI, Bahamas (25 July 2005) -- The quaint settlement of Alice Town, Bimini, was still reeling from the slaughter of two Austrian nationals over the weekend, who appeared to have been slain execution-style at a local hotel. A maid found the two victims – Bolza Berhard, 34, and Barbara Refreiin Perfall, 32, - around 12:50 Saturday afternoon in room six of the Anchorage Hotel, according to police reports. Berhard's body was on the floor between two beds with his hands tied behind his back, Inspector Loretta Mackey, assistant press liaison officer for the Northern Bahamas told The Bahama Journal. He had been shot in the upper back. Perfall, was found lying on one of the beds with several serious head and facial wounds, Inspector Mackey confirmed. The homicides led senior police investigators to the island to play an integral role in the probe. Assistant Commissioner of Police responsible for crime Reginald Ferguson, who was in Bimini on Sunday, said police had scheduled a press briefing on the homicides for Monday at 10a.m. Bimini relies heavily on tourism, especially the earnings that are generated from the boating community. The slayings left some residents fearing some potential fallout. A resident who spoke with reporters yesterday said the community is coping with the discovery, an experience she described as "unsettling". She also said residents are hoping that the gruesome murders were just an isolated incident. William Butler, who lives in Alice Town, said the murders in the tourism-dependent community are a "big concern". "This is very disturbing and very surprising and the whole community is really upset about it happening," said Mr. Butler. | | He added, "The whole thing is especially disturbing because it happened to tourists and it came right in the middle of the summer season when we have a lot of tourists here." A team of police officers dispatched from Grand Bahama to Bimini on Saturday is expected to continue investigating the slayings. Those who waited for further details about the homicides also expressed anxieties about the situation becoming similar to one that involves the alleged murder of an American tourist in Aruba that has the Caribbean nation in the media's critical glare. That investigation was thought to have been one of the factors that contributed to a joint statement from the association that represents police commissioners in June. The statement said whenever a visitor to the region is the victim of a crime, the contrast between the expected experience and the unfortunate event can be most debilitating to all concerned. "Despite the number of very high profile events that have garnered a great deal of publicity, in most of our jurisdictions, crimes against visitors are at an all time low despite rising numbers of visitors," the statement said. Bahamas Commissioner of Police Paul Farquharson is a member of that association. SOURCE - The Bahama Journal |
