Vanished: The mystery of Antigua and Barbuda’s missing people

The worst half is the psychological torture, Patricia Joseph says. The “gut-wrenching” flashes of questioning what her mom’s final moments have been. The infinite state of limbo.

Six years after her mom’s mysterious disappearance, Patricia nonetheless catches herself looking for the distinctive orange-lined raincoat that Hyacinth Gage, 74, was carrying the day she vanished, within the hope it could maintain a clue.

Tragically, Hyacinth is only one of an ever-increasing quantity of people on the tiny Caribbean island of Antigua to vanish with out hint in what some have dubbed an epidemic, others a disaster. At the very least 9 have vanished within the final two years alone.

That day again in Might 2019 began out ordinarily sufficient. Hyacinth, described as sprightly and self-sufficient, had gone for a routine check-up on the public hospital, however didn’t return. She has by no means been seen since.

It was to set off an excruciating sequence of fruitless, island-wide searches and determined appeals for assist.

“We grew to become detectives. My sister and I teamed as much as search for leads. I went again to the hospital asking questions,” Patricia explains.

She was in a position to confirm that whereas her mom had accomplished scheduled blood exams, she had not proven up for an electrocardiogram. Additional investigations revealed she had apparently handed her purse briefly to a different affected person to keep watch over, however by no means returned. The bag was discovered by safety workers the following day.

The household have been additionally in a position to observe down a motorist who mentioned she had given Hyacinth a raise to a location a brief distance from the hospital.

“The police bought indignant at us for investigating and instructed us to cease,” Patricia recollects. “Then they grew to become aggravated at our fixed questions, so ultimately we needed to again off and simply pray.”

Anniversaries are significantly painful: 6 March would have been Hyacinth’s eightieth birthday, a milestone for which the household had lengthy deliberate a giant celebration. As a substitute, Patricia took the day without work work to spend in quiet reflection.

The quantity of people to fade in Antigua seems to be disproportionately excessive in contrast with neighbouring islands, Patricia says, a notion supported by sources in a number of of the islands who spoke to the BBC.

In St Kitts, for instance, which has a inhabitants of 48,000, official police stats offered present that of the entire 54 people reported missing in 2023 and 2024, all however two are accounted for. The remaining two are believed to be Haitian migrants who’ve since left the nation.

Antigua’s small measurement of simply 108 sq miles, dwelling to fewer than 100,000 people, makes the phenomenon significantly perplexing.

Hypothesis is rife. Theories vary from the banal – an absence of will to analyze by an under-resourced and under-paid police pressure – to the sinister.

“Different islands discover our bodies ultimately,” Patricia says. “My thoughts goes in every single place questioning what occurred. People recommend organ trafficking. I’ve even thought of gang exercise. Is it one thing they’re required to do as an initiation?”

The disappearance of a nine-year-old woman on 12 March despatched the nation reeling and sparked in depth searches. Chantel Crump’s physique was discovered two days later in a case that has brought about widespread public outrage and protests – and despatched rumours into overdrive. A lady has been charged with Chantel’s homicide.

Antigua’s Performing Police Commissioner Everton Jeffers acknowledges there may be “room for enchancment” with regards to the pressure’s public relations, however rejects the concept it’s uncaring.

He additionally says he’s protecting an open thoughts on the explanation for the excessive quantity of disappearances, together with a potential organ commerce working on the island.

“It is one thing we have been listening to and one thing we’ll look into. There is no proof to help it, but it surely’s essential we do not dismiss something,” he explains.

Patricia has discovered some solace in connecting with households of different missing people and now plans to arrange an motion group to ask for worldwide assist.

“This is not a random factor any extra, that is severe, there is a disaster,” she provides.

Aaron (not his actual title) has collated a listing of nearly 60 people missing in Antigua – greater than a 3rd within the final decade alone – and believes there are a number of extra. Males account for roughly two in three of the disappearances, starting from youngsters to people of their 70s.

“I’ve personally skilled this ache. One of my relations went missing and one other was murdered,” he says, talking on situation of anonymity as a result of of threats he says he has obtained for highlighting the problem.

“Households are struggling. Many have gone to their graves with out ever seeing justice for his or her family members.

“Whereas some could have disappeared resulting from their involvement in prison actions, there’s rising concern that an organised organ harvesting ring may very well be working behind the scenes,” Aaron provides.

Police say they’re collating official figures for missing people overlaying the final 20 years however by the point of publication had not offered any figures.

This yr has already seen two extra.

In late January, Orden David didn’t return dwelling after an evening out at a neighborhood on line casino. Orden’s burnt-out automotive has since been recovered, however there have been few different clues.

Alline Henry recollects Orden as her “greatest good friend of 23 years”.

“The worst half is just not understanding if he is being held towards his will,” Alline says.

“Is somebody abusing him, torturing him? Day-after-day my ideas run wild. If, God forbid, it is the worst case state of affairs, we’d like closure,” she provides.

Orden, 39, is well-known in Antigua as a key litigant in a landmark 2022 case that overturned laws criminalising same-sex acts.

“I am unable to clarify how a lot it hurts that as a substitute of focussing on the actual fact he is missing, some people give attention to him being homosexual.

“I imagine the case could have made him a goal,” Alline says sadly.

With swathes of bushland and ocean throughout, the ostensible ease of concealing a physique in Antigua could partly clarify the absence of solutions many households endure.

“Clearly the native police cannot resolve these disappearances. They want to herald exterior assist. What number of extra people need to go missing earlier than they do one thing. Who’s subsequent?” Alline provides.

Keon Richards, 38, who works for the nationwide college meals programme, was final seen leaving work on 26 February. His mom Dian Clarke says she is “attempting to remain constructive”, including: “You hear about people going missing within the information and then it creeps up on you.”

With the exception of a 43-year-old girl, all these to fade with out hint within the final two years are males, aged between 18 and 76.

Hindering investigations is the dearth of a neighborhood forensic lab which implies essential DNA samples should be despatched abroad for evaluation, equating to prolonged waits for outcomes.

Director of Forensic Companies Michael Murrell tells the BBC {that a} new lab succesful of analysing hint proof corresponding to hair, blood and semen will grow to be operational inside months, however admits DNA capabilities are a way off as a result of of meagre funds.

Up to date expertise can’t come quickly sufficient for some.

Gregory Bailey’s son Kevorn, 26, has not been seen since he obtained a cellphone name from an unknown one that he apparently left his dwelling to fulfill in August 2022.

Gregory says the telecoms agency claims to have given the caller’s title to police way back, however “so far the police cannot inform me who it was”.

His frustration and despair are evident.

“It is like a component of me is missing. Some people discuss closure, however I could not deal with seeing him in a coffin; I want to image him alive,” he says.

“It is emotionally aggravating to pursue the police. If I do not name them I do not hear something; if I do, I get candy nothings,” he provides. “I would like the federal government to know people are grieving; I do not know in the event that they admire that.

“I put up missing posters in all places, however I could not put up any round my dwelling; I could not bear it. It is probably the most painful expertise of my life.”

Gregory believes the excessive quantity of disappearances is basically as a result of extent with which prison factions get away with homicide.

Aaron has additionally collated a listing of greater than 100 unsolved killings.

“People do not belief the police; corruption is rampant in legislation enforcement,” Gregory says.

Aaron agrees: “There’ve been circumstances the place perpetrators have retaliated towards the households of victims when reviews have been made.”

Police Chief Jeffers says “no police pressure on this planet is ideal”. However provides: “I can assure 90% of our officers are good.”

He additionally admits restricted funds impede investigations.

“There is no police pressure within the Caribbean that has sufficient sources to do every part we’ve to do.

“We do loads to search for people, get leads from the general public and matter and pledged a raft of new measures together with the institution of a chosen missing individuals’ activity pressure and the acquisition of canine educated to detect our bodies.

However that is probably not sufficient to appease these desperately awaiting solutions.

“It is time to take severe motion,” Patricia urges. “I hope this does not occur to somebody near them earlier than they take a very good contemporary have a look at these disappearances.”