American Tourist Returns To Anguilla For Murder Trial

An American tourist is accused of killing a hotel worker in Anguilla. He says it was self-defense
By Dakin Andone, AJ Davis and Madeleine Thompson, CNN
Updated 12:09 AM ET, Sat April 27, 2019


Gavin Hapgood

(CNN) A vacationing Connecticut man is accused of killing a worker at a resort on the eastern Caribbean island of Anguilla, according to local authorities.

According to a statement from the Royal Anguilla Police Force, Gavin Hapgood, 44, faces a charge of manslaughter in connection to the death of 27-year-old Kenny Mitchel, a Dominican national and maintenance worker at the Malliouhana resort, in Anguilla -- a British territory in the Caribbean that's a popular tourist destination.

A representative for Hapgood, who was vacationing with his family, said the killing was in self-defense, and that Mitchel was "armed and demanding money" when he showed up to Hapgood's hotel room uninvited on April 13.

The circumstances surrounding Mitchel's death remain unclear.

It's also unclear whether Hapgood has hired a US-based attorney. Reached for comment, Thomas Astaphan, a defense attorney for Hapgood in Anguilla. declined to comment.
An autopsy revealed the cause of death was "prone restraint and positional asphyxia." There were also signs of blunt force trauma to the head, torso and abdomen, Anguilla police spokesman Randy Dick said in a statement.

"His (Hapgood's) daughters were present when the incident occurred," Dick told CNN in an email.

Police said they had no prior interactions with the Hapgood family, and that there was no available security-camera footage of the incident from the hotel.

Hapgood was subsequently arrested and charged with manslaughter, according to police. He was arraigned on April 17, and was initially denied bail, police said.

But after an appeal by his attorney, he was granted a $75,000 bond and left the territory, on the conditions that he return for an August 22 court date and return within three days of each subsequent hearing.

"Based on the legal advice that was given a decision was made to charge Mr. Gavin Hapgood for the offence of manslaughter," Dick said in a statement on the police department's Facebook page.

The spokeswoman for Hapgood said Mitchel had come to the room uninvited and "attacked without warning" before he was killed.

"Neither invited nor expected, the worker showed up unannounced in uniform at the hotel room, claiming he was there to fix a broken sink before carrying out his sudden, violent attack on the family," Kelcey Kintner, a spokeswoman for Hapgood, said in a statement.

"A dedicated father and husband and respected member of his community," she said, "(Hapgood) and the members of his family have been traumatized by the assault they survived and are thankful to be alive."

But Mitchel's uncle, Victor Mitchel, denied that claim to CBS News.

"Kenny was just not a person who'd give anybody problems," he said.
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CNN's Paul P. Murphy, Augusta Anthony, Taylor Barnes and Chandler Thornton contributed to this report.

 

Here is a pic of the alleged violent robber (click on photo for linked story)



( There is a "rumor" among the locals about what really happened)

 

... bail posted, and he leaves island on private jet.. SMH
So sick of these types of stories...

 

What is it?

 

This is a weird story. What reason would there be to kill the worker if it didn’t happen the way he said? But then, who shows up to rob someone at their job, wearing their work uniform?

 

Sounds like the tourist tried to force the worker to do something he didn’t want to do and ended up killing him.

 

In reading Caribbean postings... that he caught the guy coloring his wife.. but there are others

https://onemileatatime.com/anguilla-hotel-murder/

 

How are they going to enforce the agreement of his return for the hearing?

 

Thanks this us horrible

 

They’re not. He will likely not return and this will be the last we hear of it.

 

The stories never mention the tourist's wife or of her being present on the trip. I'm not denying what you are saying. If she was on the trip, it is odd that there is no mention of her. Inferring that something seems to be amiss.

 

One of the stories said she was videotaping the incident on her iPad. I don't believe he was sleeping with the mans wife; otherwise, both he and the wife would be dead if he was that enraged. Plus, their children were in the room at the time of the incident.

What was he doing in their hotel room? And, why didn't the security people stop the altercation when they showed up. Mitchell was still alive when they showed up! Unfortunately, dead men tell no tales.

 

One article said that someone from the room called the front desk and asked for him to come to the room by name.

Also he was killed in front of security and staff who begged the killer to let go of him. That's murder smh

 

^^I doubt he'll be returning....file under #HowToGetWayWithMurder...

Why didn't the security and staff pull the killer off him? They stood they and let him die...aren't they equally Quilty

Supposedly the killer was an ex-military- a marine, which is why he knew how and what hold to enforce...

 

What good is it to be black in a Black Country if a white man on vacation can kill you in a room full of your own people and be back home comfortable before your funeral?

 

I'm glad I kept reading. How was he able to kill the guy in front of security!!?? I don't get why they stood there.

Why does Hapgood sound familiar to me?? Hmmm

 

According to the PR firm he hired , he nor his daughters called for the guy to come to the room. There is no mention of a wife. They claim the guy showed up claiming he was maintenance to fix the sink and things went south there.

Some interesting quotes
https://darienite.com/scott-hapgood...d-to-death-of-anguillan-maintenance-man-44828

I doubt he will face any consequences regardless if he is guilty of murder. smh.

 

How old were the daughters, or the daughter? I see he got a light-skinned baby there. He messed around with that man’s child. Sounds like a father that went ape crazy..

 

Reminds me of Emmitt Till, how he was dragged out of the house in front of his family. I mean we all would have had to die that day because I couldn't have just stood there and watched.

What good is security if they aren't going to do anything but watch.

 

If this was the case the father would've said that not robbery.

 

Not necessarily. He may not want the world to know his daughter was with a black man? It wouldn't be completely out of the realm of possibility.

 

I took the term messed around to mean rape. I get it now, yes it's definitely a possibility.

 

You can’t legally call someone up to your room and kill them in retaliation for rape. Whatever happened he’d need to accuse the resort worker of being the aggressor.

 

Did they say how old one of the daughters were? If she is in her late teens, then I stand by my theory.

 

True. I didnt think about rape...just consensual sex. Either way he may not want the world to know.

I really want to know if they or even his daughters called the frontdesk to ask for him really happened.

 

I understand what you meant now I just misread it the first time.

 

I understand now that's what the poster meant. I was confused.

 

Neither what the killer did. The man was alive when security went up to the room and he refused to let him go. He killed him to silence him.

 

Not much, if the country is dependent on British rule still, like Anguilla...
Anguilla is not Zimbabwe