A family from Maryland is looking for answers regarding the death of a 23-year-old man whose corpse they claim was discovered severely battered while on vacation in the Bahamas.
According to his family, Dinari McAlmont, a resident of Bowie, Maryland, was discovered dead on Saturday morning close to the Atlantis Bahamas resort on Paradise Island, where he had been lodging with his parents.
Michelle McAlmont, the mother of Mr. McAlmont, told Bahamian news organization Eyewitness News that it was evident her son had been abused when the authorities showed her a picture of his face. She continued, “He was traumatized.”
She claimed that he could have been battered on the beach because his hair, which he was very proud of, was also covered in sand.
She declared, “I need justice for my baby.” “Justice is what I need.” He would never have done it to himself in that manner.
“We will definitely do our best to get answers,” Royal Bahamas Police Force Commissioner Shanta Knowles told Eyewitness News on Tuesday.
She stated that the police were awaiting the results of the autopsy to ascertain the cause of death and that “we are investigating this incident.”
“Until we know exactly what we’re looking at, we won’t be able to speak further about that incident,” Commissioner Knowles stated.
The location of Mr. McAlmont’s corpse and whether there were any indications of trauma or violence have not been confirmed by the police, who did not reply to inquiries for details on Wednesday.
Citing respect for the privacy of the family, the U.S. State Department announced Wednesday that an American citizen had died in the Bahamas but refrained from providing any information.
“Deeply saddened by the passing of one of our guests,” the Atlantis resort stated in a statement.
It stated, “During this difficult time, our thoughts and condolences are with the guest’s family and loved ones.” “This sad tragedy is being investigated by the police authorities. We won’t comment on conjecture until we have the police’s final report.
Ms. McAlmont stated in an interview on Wednesday that the family had left for the resort on Friday and intended to return on Monday.
According to Ms. McAlmont, her son contacted her at around 8:45 p.m. on Friday to let her know he was going for a stroll around the resort. At around 10 p.m., she said he texted her once more to let her know he was heading to a restaurant at the resort.
She said that the police called her to the front desk at around one in the morning on Saturday to inform her that her son had spat on restaurant employees and that there had been a fight. She said that after her kid dropped his phone, the police informed her that it had been located.
She said that the authorities informed her that her son’s corpse had been located on the beach at around five in the morning on Saturday.
The police have not stated if Mr. McAlmont’s phone was recovered after he dropped it, nor have they verified whether there was a fight in the restaurant.
According to Ms. McAlmont, her son’s spitting on someone would have been out of character, and she thinks he could have been assaulted when someone attempted to take his phone.
She stated that she wanted the authorities to conduct a “full investigation” into her son’s death, which would involve staff interviews and a study of the resort’s security camera video.
As Ms. McAlmont put it, “I hope they find the truth.” “The resort holds the truth.”
In an interview, Marcelle McPherson, Mr. McAlmont’s aunt, described her nephew as a “loving kid” who loved basketball and music and was “very reserved.”
Lowcation Studios in Brentwood, Maryland, where he had worked as a music producer and audio engineer under the stage name Diddy, honored him on Instagram.
It stated, “It’s hard to imagine life in general and life at the studio without him. Diddy was more than just an engineer to us; he was a great friend and an all-around incredible individual.”
