Crime
Denise Buck Murder in Grand Turk making UK News; TCI Police finally ready to offer REWARD
By Deandrea Hamilton
Editor
#TurksandCaicos, December 12, 2022 – On January 3, 2023, it will be one year since the brutal killing of Denise Buck, a 61 year old long time resident of Grand Turk, originally from the UK. And on that one year anniversary, the Royal TCI Police plans to launch an appeal for information in the case with reward money attached, says a report published in the UK Guardian.
The Family of Buck has been calling for a reward to be offered since the horrendous crime was committed.
While the sister of Denise, Lesley Campbell, is ever hopeful the murderer will be caught, she expressed disappointment that basic investigative techniques were not employed increasing the likelihood the case would go cold.
In yet another international report exposing the frustrating investigative style of the TCI Police, the UK Guardian is now reporting on the murder, the progress of the investigation and who is responsible for policing and national
security in the country.
Lesley has spoken to Magnetic Media extensively about her distress in the case, which has moved barely at all in terms of unearthing what happened and who beat her sister to death. She is now speaking to the UK Guardian about how the system failed her when she needed it most.
A roller-coaster relationship with the Police and its appointed Family Liaison Officers (FLO); offhandedness by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office and local companies and officials who treated her more like a nuisance than a relative in mourning, she had explained.
Rubbed raw with fresh emotions after burying the ashes of her sister in Grand Turk, Lesley exposes how the 911 call was not recorded and how the police, on the tiny island took far too long to arrive at the scene. When they did, Denise was already deceased – found in the bedroom of her small home on the Ridge in Grand Turk.
Little did islanders know at the time of Buck’s vicious killing, they were in for the most murderous year on record for the Turks and Caicos. One so vile, that it has involved at least five nations in the crime fighting effort; saw an American civil rights leader murdered in the cross-fire of gang-fuelled violence; led to the interception of a shipment of guns bound for TCI from the United States and resulted in the slaughter of nearly an entire family, two babies included.
A question in the UK House of Commons and a Report laid in parliament have now irrefutably reiterated what islanders already knew, that the United Kingdom is “ultimately responsible for the good governance, safety and defence of the territories”.
The report was published on December 9, 2022 and came following questions about who was looking into the surging crime in the tiny archipelago, one of the British overseas territories in the Caribbean.
The report informs the readers that the governor, Nigel Dakin, assured successive government administrations willingly support policing needs. In fact, nine per cent of the national budget is devoted to policing and national security; raising year on year for over a decade.
Lesley Campbell was incensed by the lackluster progress despite the funding for resources. She fingered not only the Governor and the Commissioner of Police for being insufficiently responsive and attentive to the case, but the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office of the United Kingdom.
From the Guardian, this: Anne-Marie Trevelyan, minister of state in the FCDO, said: “The UK is committed to the security of the TCI and is supporting their response to the recent increase in serious crime.”
Governor Dakin is reported in the article admitting that while he is ultimately responsible for national security, it is the Royal TCI Police which has to indicate it requires intervention.
“… told the Guardian that as governor he could make a request for UK assistance only on recommendation of the police commissioner and in emergencies.”
But the Governor, as pointed out in the Report has the power, constitutionally over defence, internal security and the police among other areas.
Campbell remains stumped by the fact that no one has been questioned for her sister’s murder some 11 months ago. She believes that an island as small as Grand Turk and in a population so close-knit, more decisive action at the onset would have turned up leads in the murder probe.
The Guardian reports that it asked Trevor Botting, TCI Police Commissioner about the investigation. It is when the publication (and readers) learned that on the anniversary of Buck’s murder, there is a plan to make a fresh appeal with reward money dangled as a lure for credible information in the open case.
It is also when the common refrain by Commissioner Botting, when asked about progress on any investigation was recited: “This matter remains an active and live investigation so I cannot comment in any detail regarding the investigation.”
It is not believe Denise Buck was killed in a robbery gone bad; over $4,000 in a severance pay from her last job was found untouched in the house. The motive for the murder is also a mystery, which eats away at her deeply distressed loved ones.
The last appeal for information in the murder of Denise Buck was made on January 21 in a media briefing. There is no information – including any appeal for information in the case of the murder of Denise Buck posted on the, highly trafficked, Police Facebook page.
Wilkie Arthur
Freelance Court Correspondent
#TurksandCaicos, April 25, 2024 – He was busted at the Howard Hamilton Providenciales International Airport on Friday, April 16, 2024.
He allegedly had in his luggage four (4) rounds of 6.5mm ammunition on his departure to his homeland in Oklahoma in the United States of America (USA).
Ryan Watson and his wife were arrested and placed into police lock up. Both were later granted police bail, and upon return to police station the Monday after the couple’s arrest, the husband alone was charged by detective Police Constable Kimberlee Markland for
unlawful possession of the four rounds of ammunition.
Watson was escorted to court on Tuesday, April 23rd, placed before the learned Chief Magistrate Mr. Jolyon Hatmin and remanded to His Majesty’s Prison until his sufficiency hearing on June 7, this (2024) year.
His counsel, Mr. Oliver Smith KC and his junior assistant Mrs. Kimone Tennant immediately sought bail for him in the Supreme Court which was heard the following day (Wednesday April 24) before her Ladyship Ms. Tanya Lobban-Jackson and was granted bail, without hassle in the amount or $15,000.00 cash or surety.
The Crown, in the person of senior public prosecutor Ms. Tassja Mitchell did not oppose bail.
Magnetic Media can report that once again on the afternoon of the Tuesday April 24th, after the accused RYAN TYLER WATSON, 41 was remanded by the Magistrate’s court, the U.S. Embassy issued an warning to it’s citizens and travelers to carefully check their bags when traveling to Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) as TCI authorities are strictly enforcing firearm and ammunition laws and if found you could go to prison for 12 years.
A real question of great concern and public importance is: should the TCI courts sentence tourists to the full mandatory minimum of 12 years imprisonment for simple possession firearm and/or ammunition.
The succinct answer is: Yes!
The Court of Appeal, just last month said in its written judgment that “ALL PERSONS,” including tourist/visitors must go to prison if found guilty or pleas guilty to firearm and ammunition offences.
However, there remains the concern about how much time in prison a judge should give a visitor regardless of the existence of exceptional circumstances.
Should the judge imprison a visitor to the territory, who may have been wrongly informed, for example, the full mandatory minimum term or must a reduced prison term be imposed.
If TCI judges start to give less than the mandatory minimum to tourists/visitors, it is being strong and widely advocated by senior defense attorneys that the same must apply to local or residents of these Islands, who may also present exceptional circumstances.
Arguments about the equity in delivery of justice is what drove the question to the Court of Appeal late in 2023. The decision came this past February.
‘We cannot find ourselves sentencing tourists regardless of exceptional circumstances to lesser sentences, and when those same exceptional circumstances are found in local cases, it’s being ignored by our judges.’
Human Rights Attorney, Sheena Mair has on more than one occasion argued this point; including in firearm and ammunition bail applications. She would put the very same judges and prosecutors from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution on the spot by reminding the judges and the prosecutors that precedent has been set.
‘You’ve just granted bail to a tourist for firearm and ammunition but now here’s a local person, same charge but because he’s a local he can’t get bail? He has to be remanded pending a trial that could take years before it’s heard?’
Mair has valiantly outlined the wrong in this and clearly stated this practice is “not fair” and it’s “not proper administration of justice in the Turks and Caicos Islands.”
Ms. Mair further complained that tourists would plea guilty to possession of firearm and ammunition and be released on bail pending sentencing but as for a local, he or she has to wait on remand at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation pending sentencing.
The attorney criticizes the optics of such decisions and is on record reminding the Judge that the Court of Appeal has already set out that the law applies to everyone; visitors and locals alike.
A police statement issued Wednesday April 24 informs: “Today (April 24th), Mr. Watson appeared in the Supreme Court and, following a bail application, was granted $15,000 bail with the following conditions:
1) Not travel out of TCI without the court’s permission.
2) Surrender his passport and all other travel documents to the court
3) Report to Grace Bay Police Station on Tuesdays and Thursdays between the hours of 8 am-4 pm,
4) Reside at the given address in Providenciales; any address change will be provided before the court.”
The American from Oklahoma whose story is trending in the US and has been carried by leading news networks was joined by a host of loved ones at the Courthouse.
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