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Crime

Denise Buck Family calling for information in her murder case and reward to help find the KILLER

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By Deandrea Hamilton

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#TurksandCaicos, May 17, 2022 – Royal TCI Police investigative techniques are again being called into question, this time it is the sister of Denise Buck, UK citizen and Grand Turk resident who as on January 3, 2022 murdered at her home who points to serious flaws and a sloppy probe.

“Clearly, probably they’ve never retrieved the phone and they haven’t found the murder weapon. So it’s probably in the creek, isn’t it, at the bottom?  That’s where I’d dumped it if I was a perpetrator of such crime and what they have done, I couldn’t tell you to be honest with you.”

Nearly five months since the killing of Buck, 60 years old, who was bludgeoned with a hammer, and there has been little communication and very little progress in the investigation.  There has also been no reward money offered for information in the crime.

Older sister, Lesley Campbell, a teacher still living in the UK explained even the notion of a reward being offered for information in the crime was snubbed, initially.

“I asked for a reward, before they agreed to doing it.  They said that they wouldn’t because people would talk because they want the money.  I said, but you want them to talk don’t you and you don’t give them the money until someone’s convicted.”

The appointed Family Liaison Officer informed Mrs. Campbell that there would be a reward offered in the matter; however, at no time has a reward for information in the case been shared with the public.  It sadly is just as Buck’s sister had feared.

Have phone records been checked?   How did the killer access the house? Why didn’t the killer take the money? Why didn’t Denise run and fight for her life?  Why didn’t 9-11 recognize the call was from Grand Turk and why wasn’t the call recorded, Campbell said she was told the recording feature was broken.

In recanting one of the conversations she has had with police, there was this:  “So you must have his voice then.  Can you not get some of Denise’s friends or people to listen to his voice, maybe someone will recognize it.  Guess what, the recording machine was not working!”

The questions from Buck’s family are many, and we are told they have been shared with family liaison officers, the Governor and the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office.  Still there has been little movement in the case, to the satisfaction of the family, no updates this month and no arrests.

“I have never learned what time the police actually got up to my sister’s house, nobody has ever told us that.”

There have been reports, which the police “categorically deny” which reveal that the attacker heartlessly called 911, using Denise Buck’s phone.  It was redacted in a report to the family, but initially Lesley says they were told the man told the operator they could come and get Denise because he was done murdering her.

Royal TCI Police also came under fire for the extreme delay between getting that call and responding to it in person.  An investigation into what transpired had been launched, however, there has been no findings published in the matter of the delayed response to the distress call.

It is also expressed by Buck’s sister that people in Grand Turk also know the killer and at one point, the relatives were contacted for a payoff for information; Lesley Campbell told us that she reported the attempt at blackmail.  That probe too has gotten little traction.

Lesley Campbell described her sister as brilliant, in love with the island of Grand Turk, though a bit too trusting and a woman who was working hard, enjoying her life as an islander.  Her thoughts are that Denise was “as tough as old boots” and believes Ms. Buck was caught off guard because she knew her attacker.

Lesley has vowed she will not give up on justice for Denise.

“I’ve not been able to have any kind of closure or be able to put anything to rest because I am that sort of person. I guess I can sort of park it somewhere and let other things cloud in… but all I want, I’d like the police to do a bit of work and find the murderer because I can’t imagine on a small island like Grand Turk, that somebody doesn’t know who it is, in fact I know that somebody does know.”

Caribbean News

Bermuda Shaken by Targeted Murder as Crime Returns After a Decade of Calm

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Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

 

Bermuda is reeling after the brazen murder of 37-year-old Janae Minors, a mother of two, who was gunned down in her own beauty supply store on Court Street, Pembroke. The attack, which police describe as “targeted,” has rattled the island, not only for its brutality but for what it says about the state of law and order in a country that less than a decade ago was celebrating a dramatic fall in violent crime.

The Attack on Court Street

According to police, at approximately 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, September 16, a lone gunman pulled up on a stolen black motorcycle, walked into the Beauty Monster shop Minors owned, and shot her multiple times. Despite the rapid response of emergency services, she succumbed to her injuries shortly after being transported to hospital.

Detectives say the killer was thin, tall, dressed in dark clothing with a full-face helmet, and wearing bright gloves. CCTV shows him fleeing north on Court Street, down Tills Hill toward TCD, before turning onto Marsh Folly Road. Investigators are pursuing all leads, with a focus on recovering evidence from nearby cameras and eyewitness accounts.

Police Commissioner Darrin Simons confirmed the attack bore the hallmarks of gang-related violence, a chilling indicator that Bermuda’s gang rivalries — long simmering beneath the surface — may once again be spilling into broad daylight.

A Vibrant Life Cut Short

Minors, remembered as a hardworking entrepreneur with “a vibrant, beautiful personality,” leaves behind two children, ages 16 and 18. Her murder has ignited outrage across Bermuda, not just for its senselessness but for its timing: the island had once prided itself on virtually stamping out gun violence.

Then: Near-Zero Murders

Back in 2014, Bermuda made international headlines for reporting zero firearm murders — a remarkable achievement given the small island had endured a spate of gang-related shootings in the early 2010s. Police credited intelligence-led operations, tighter firearms interdictions, and aggressive prosecutions of gang leaders. Community programs and mentoring initiatives also played a role, giving at-risk youth alternatives to gang life.

By 2015 and 2016, gun crime was at historic lows. That period was hailed as proof Bermuda could beat back the tide of violence with coordinated policing, social investment, and political will.

Now: Alarming Resurgence

Fast forward nine years, and the picture looks starkly different. In 2024 and 2025, Bermuda has recorded a rise in gun-related deaths. Rival gangs such as Parkside and 42 have resurged, fueled by a new generation of recruits. Economic pressures, high youth unemployment, and the easy flow of smuggled firearms through maritime routes have undermined earlier gains.

Community trust in the police has also eroded, making investigations harder and retaliations more likely. Opposition MPs and neighborhood leaders warn that without sustained focus, Bermuda risks sliding back into the violent cycles of the early 2010s.

Public Alarm and Political Pressure

Premier David Burt condemned Minors’ killing as “an escalation of community violence that cannot be tolerated,” promising stronger enforcement and deeper engagement with residents. The Bermuda Police Service has appealed for CCTV, dashcam, and doorbell footage from the area, urging residents that even the smallest detail could break the case.

Yet among the public, frustration is growing. People remember the calm of 2014 — when zero murders were recorded — and cannot understand how the island has returned to headlines dominated by gun violence. The contrast is stark: from celebrating the elimination of gun murders to confronting the targeted execution of a businesswoman in broad daylight.

A Test for Bermuda’s Future

The murder of Janae Minors has become more than a single case; it is now a symbol of Bermuda’s struggle to hold on to the progress it once made. The question facing the island is whether the successes of a decade ago can be replicated and sustained in today’s harsher climate of economic pressure and gang rivalries.

For Minors’ family, nothing can erase the tragedy of losing a mother and daughter so violently. But for Bermuda at large, her death is a wake-up call — that the island cannot afford complacency when it comes to crime.

As one community leader put it: “Nine years ago, we had beaten this. Now, we’re back to fearing what happens when the sun goes down. That is not the Bermuda we want to live in.”

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Crime

Two Injured in Sunday Blue Hills Shootings

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Magnetic Media & Eagle Legal News

 

Turks and Caicos, August 29, 2025 – A quiet Sunday afternoon in Blue Hills was shattered on August 24 when bursts of gunfire erupted along Front Street, leaving two people injured and sparking renewed fears in the community.

According to Eagle Legal News Media, residents reported hearing a barrage of bullets around 3:30 p.m., forcing people to run for cover. Videos from the crime scene later showed more than two dozen evidence markers scattered across the roadway, documenting the scale of the attack.

At least two individuals were struck by gunfire, though police sources said their injuries were not considered life-threatening. The victims were treated at Cheshire Hall Medical Centre, where emergency services were briefly disrupted as staff responded to the influx of casualties.

The spray of bullets also damaged property. A small black Japanese car had its window blown out, while a truck parked nearby bore visible bullet holes.

The shooting came on the very same day that senior police and national security officials had gathered for a special church service in Providenciales, where prayers were offered for peace and protection across the islands. Just hours later, residents of Blue Hills were ducking for cover as bullets tore through their community.

The attack also followed weeks of heightened restrictions. Though Blue Hills had only recently emerged from a community-wide curfew, neighboring Five Cays remained under emergency restrictions until August 26. Additional late-night rules — including 2 a.m. closures for businesses and a ban on after-hours alcohol sales — remain in place following the July 27 Hookah Lounge mass shooting that killed four people.

Police cordoned off Front Street during their investigation, but as of press time, no arrests had been announced.

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Crime

Police Seize Rifle and Ammunition in Blue Hills, 2025 Marked by Guns and Drug Arrests

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Providenciales, Turks and Caicos — August 22, 2025 – The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RT&CIPF) has recovered a high-powered rifle and more than 250 rounds of ammunition following a targeted operation in the Blue Hills community of Providenciales.

According to police, officers from the Tactical Unit and the Criminal Investigations Division acted on intelligence and searched an open area where they discovered the weapon, 255 assorted rounds, and firearm accessories. No arrests were made. The investigation is continuing.

This seizure adds to a string of police actions in 2025 against guns and narcotics.

On March 27, officers executed a warrant at a residence in Pete Court, Kew Town. Police say they discovered several bags of suspected cannabis and tablets believed to be methamphetamine. A 58-year-old woman and a 34-year-old man were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply.

In July, the Turks and Caicos Islands Border Force intercepted two separate narcotics shipments under Operation Transit Shed. More than 26 kilograms of cannabis and other drugs, with an estimated street value of over US $260,000, were seized. The contraband had been vacuum-sealed and hidden in boxes with detergent odors to mask the smell.

Days later, the country faced its first mass shooting when gunmen opened fire at a nightclub in Providenciales. Three people were killed and ten others injured. No arrests have been reported. Police are offering a US $10,000 reward for information leading to those responsible.

Police Commissioner Fitz Bailey has urged the public to cooperate with investigations, while Premier Charles Washington Misick described the surge in gun violence as a serious threat to the nation’s security.

Residents are being encouraged to report illegal activity by calling 911, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477, or using the P3 app.

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