News
Headless Bodies, Mass Shooting, Gun Attacks and Traffic Crash leave SIX Provo Men DEAD
By Deandrea Hamilton
Editor
Desmond Arthur
#TurksandCaicos, July 27, 2023 – There were four confirmed murders in July, pushing Turks and Caicos back to the top of an unenviable list, as among the nations with the highest murder rate per capita in the region. The level of violence reawakening memories of last year where an unrelenting and torrid wave of gang-fuelled crime saw 24 people, including children, women, elderly, bystanders and a tourist cut down, heartlessly.
Desmond ‘Gomer Pie’ Arthur was killed in a most heinous incident on July 5, in his community of Five Cays. Arthur, 48 years old was decapitated. It happened after residents claimed they heard him arguing with others. His body was found first, police confirming the discovery of his head in another location later the same day.
No one has been arrested in the case, which set off a new wave of public complaints from residents of Five Cays about the ongoing scourge of crime.
Woody Rousseaux
Then over the period of two days, on July 18 and 19, there would be three more homicides and whether they are linked remains unknown as police investigations are ongoing.
A first of its kind mass shooting unfurled in Grace Bay and the suspects recklessly sprayed a string of businesses in the Regent Village with an almost unbelievable number of bullets. Three people were struck, at least four others, also hanging out at the Shisha Lounge were hurt in the crush of patrons trying to get to safety. One young man died and he is yet to be identified by the Royal TCI Police. Our sources say he is Woody Rousseaux.
As a safeguard to survivors of that attack, medical workers and other patients, the TCI Hospitals temporarily suspended visitation at the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre.
Derrick Missick
On the same day, the afternoon of Tuesday July 18, Derrick ‘Dope Baby’ Missick was gunned down near the Pink Bar in Kew Town in broad daylight. Police flooded the scene, but it was too late as Missick lay dead near the popular hangout.
There has been no arrest announcement in the murder.
In the early hours of Wednesday July 19, a 52 year old man suffered gunshot wounds. Initially, David McIntosh was being treated at the Cheshire Hall Medical Center for the wound, then came the update from authorities, that he had died, becoming the country’s 11th murder for 2023.
A wanted posted appeared within the day, urging Dwight Simmons to turn himself in to Police. Simmons did so within hours; it is believed he was being questioned in the murder of McIntosh.
Over the weekend, Police informed the public, through a media statement, that they were on heightened alert and assurances about public safety came from the new Governor and leaders of the Force, who also tried to quell panic over a voice note. That voice message was in wide circulation on social media and foreshadowed a violent retribution plan in the aftermath of the three men who were slain between Tuesday and Wednesday.
David McIntosh
Magnetic Media in the midst of the murders, included in our newscast the comments on the silence of the PNP Government Administration, despite repeated questions, news reports and letters to editors.
Up to now, no senior government official has spoken to the nation about this vile disturbance of the peace.
Added to the list of concerning deaths in Providenciales during the month was a July 13 traffic accident, where a young man, when his vehicle overturned on Millennium Highway, was killed almost instantly in a severe two car collision and the discovery of a man’s mangled body.
Police, were called to the scene of that body, which was found headless; floating in waters off Provo also on July 13.
Residents remarked to us about being immediately suspicious of the nature of the death of the black male; saying a shark attack – which was originally rumored to be the cause of death – where a head is completely severed is unusual and unlikely.
Four days after the gruesome discovery, Police listed Ryan Ronald Musgrove, 38 as MISSING having last been seen on July 11. To date there is no identify and no cause of death communicated to a concerned and curious public about this body.
Deandrea Hamilton | Editor
Turks and Caicos, July 14, 2025 – In a rare and touching moment during the Royal Navy’s latest deployment to the Turks and Caicos
Islands, Father Matteo Zambon, chaplain aboard HMS Medway, led a communion service at His Majesty’s Prison in Grand Turk. The intimate spiritual gathering brought reflection and encouragement to inmates and staff, and was described by observers as “deeply moving.”
The service was a standout feature of HMS Medway’s multifaceted visit, showcasing the Royal Navy’s humanitarian and pastoral outreach, not just its operational capacity. While the ship is widely recognized for its disaster readiness and security work in the region, the prison service offered a profound, personal dimension to the deployment.
Alongside this spiritual engagement, HMS Medway conducted a simulated beach landing exercise in collaboration with the Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment, aimed at improving disaster response coordination. The Royal Navy’s Crisis Response Troop participated in the operation, which took place on the beach adjacent to the Grand Turk cruise pier and concluded safely before ship traffic resumed.
The visit also reinforced UK support for the Overseas Territories during hurricane season. HMS Medway, permanently stationed in the Caribbean, is outfitted with emergency relief supplies, medical kits, and equipment for clearing debris and restoring access in the aftermath of natural disasters.
In Providenciales, the crew met with local officials and conducted further training and outreach activities. The deployment builds on strong
ties established during previous visits, including youth mentorship programs and joint patrols with the TCI Marine Branch and Police Force.
Governor Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam has previously praised the UK’s forward-deployed assets like HMS Medway as “critical to disaster preparedness, maritime security, and community support”. This most recent visit deepens that role, showing how hard power can be paired with soft-touch diplomacy.
As HMS Medway resumes regional patrols, its legacy in the Turks and Caicos this year will not only be measured in drills and deployments—but in the quiet connection made behind prison walls, where faith, dignity, and humanity were affirmed by a visiting chaplain in naval uniform.
In a place often associated with hardship and consequence, Father Zambon’s communion service served as a rare reminder: that even the most disciplined missions can carry a message of hope.
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