Three arrested for St Maarten superyacht chef murder
Three Dominican men have been arrested in relation to the murder of French superyacht chef Ludovic Guillevin, 37, on 26 February in Dutch St Maarten.…
Three Dominican men have been arrested in relation to the murder of French superyacht chef Ludovic Guillevin,
37, on 26 February in Dutch St Maarten. They are also under arrest for
the murders of two other men - Foidel Louis, a Haitian security guard,
and Edwardo Nova Valdez, a Spanish pastor, according to the St Martin
News Network. These murders occurred between the death of Guillevin and 4
March. The suspects - named as Sherwin Roberts (20), Curtley Richards
(31) and Julius Serrant (28) on the SMMN website - were taken into
custody by the police on 7 April and an official press annoucement was
made on Monday.
According to the St Maarten Marine Trade Association (SMMTA), the arrests of the three suspects came about through widespread cooperation between local Dutch and French police, Royal Marechaussees, the Prosecutor's Office and a number of police forces on nearby islands. The SMMTA added: "[The] three men from Dominica who are in custody are said to have confessed to the crimes after questioning by detectives. The Prosecutor's Office and the police investigation team concluded that the confessions had 'enough corroboration' based on the statements of the co-suspects and on the findings at the various crime scenes, including DNA evidence."
The suspects were reportedly pretending to operate a "gypsy taxi" to pick up potential victims and used force if the victims were reluctant to enter their vehicle. At the time of Guillevin's death, Earl Wyatt, who runs local yacht agency and FBO company TLC, warned of the dangers of illegal taxis and said crew should be extra vigilant and avoid travelling alone at night: "I recommend that crew always travel in groups if they can, only take approved taxis or hire cars and make sure they should never take an illegal ‘gypsy’ cab." The cabs on the French side of the island are marked with a windscreen seal on the front and back of the vehicle, and on the Dutch side they are marked with “TX”, he explained.
St Maarten is a key Caribbean hub for the superyacht industry, due to its attractive tax-free status, good infrastructure and location near many popular cruising grounds like St Barths. Many yachts use the island as a base over the winter months or frequently return to stock up on goods between charters or guest visits.
According to the SMMTA website, the marine industry is responsible for 12.5 per cent of the island's total economy; the Association was set up in 1994 to "promote the island of St Maarten as the premier destination in the Caribbean for visiting yachts of all sizes".
The death of a superyacht chef resulted in a quick response from the Association, including meetings with senior police, captains' security briefings, and sponsorship of increased patrols of the Simpson Bay strip at night (near where many of the yachts are docked and the crew frequent) as well as a crew shuttle service (co-sponsored by local nightclubs).
The Association hopes to sent up a more permanent shuttle service for crews for the next peak season, and there will be an increased police presence by the end of the year. According to the SMMTA, there will be 70 new St Maarten police officers, 20 more Royal Marechaussees from Holland, and better cooperation between the French and Dutch sides of the island.
Security concerns about the Caribbean have been voiced in recent years, notably after the Antigua shooting of Perseus captain Drew Gollan in January 2009. In a recent letter to The Crew Report from the captain of Cheetah Moon, Jean Yves Candlot, raised his concerns:
"It would seem that the crime rate is escalating in the area. Annually megayachts return to St Maarten, bringing with them the image of luxury. These crew arrive after working hard during the season and would like to have a bit of a good time. Sadly, however, there are bad elements around that wish them ill and are perhaps envious of their perceived wealth.
"I feel it is important that the captains, brokers, and agencies keep crew informed of the reality of the dangers out there, and that they make crew safety a priority until the authorities have shown that they have made progress in providing a safer environment.
"Such an accident can happen to anybody and all should take care equally."
EB
Related links:
Crewmember dies following attack in St Maarten
Death of Cheetah Moon chef - letter from the editor
SMMTA website
According to the St Maarten Marine Trade Association (SMMTA), the arrests of the three suspects came about through widespread cooperation between local Dutch and French police, Royal Marechaussees, the Prosecutor's Office and a number of police forces on nearby islands. The SMMTA added: "[The] three men from Dominica who are in custody are said to have confessed to the crimes after questioning by detectives. The Prosecutor's Office and the police investigation team concluded that the confessions had 'enough corroboration' based on the statements of the co-suspects and on the findings at the various crime scenes, including DNA evidence."
The suspects were reportedly pretending to operate a "gypsy taxi" to pick up potential victims and used force if the victims were reluctant to enter their vehicle. At the time of Guillevin's death, Earl Wyatt, who runs local yacht agency and FBO company TLC, warned of the dangers of illegal taxis and said crew should be extra vigilant and avoid travelling alone at night: "I recommend that crew always travel in groups if they can, only take approved taxis or hire cars and make sure they should never take an illegal ‘gypsy’ cab." The cabs on the French side of the island are marked with a windscreen seal on the front and back of the vehicle, and on the Dutch side they are marked with “TX”, he explained.
St Maarten is a key Caribbean hub for the superyacht industry, due to its attractive tax-free status, good infrastructure and location near many popular cruising grounds like St Barths. Many yachts use the island as a base over the winter months or frequently return to stock up on goods between charters or guest visits.
According to the SMMTA website, the marine industry is responsible for 12.5 per cent of the island's total economy; the Association was set up in 1994 to "promote the island of St Maarten as the premier destination in the Caribbean for visiting yachts of all sizes".
The death of a superyacht chef resulted in a quick response from the Association, including meetings with senior police, captains' security briefings, and sponsorship of increased patrols of the Simpson Bay strip at night (near where many of the yachts are docked and the crew frequent) as well as a crew shuttle service (co-sponsored by local nightclubs).
The Association hopes to sent up a more permanent shuttle service for crews for the next peak season, and there will be an increased police presence by the end of the year. According to the SMMTA, there will be 70 new St Maarten police officers, 20 more Royal Marechaussees from Holland, and better cooperation between the French and Dutch sides of the island.
Security concerns about the Caribbean have been voiced in recent years, notably after the Antigua shooting of Perseus captain Drew Gollan in January 2009. In a recent letter to The Crew Report from the captain of Cheetah Moon, Jean Yves Candlot, raised his concerns:
"It would seem that the crime rate is escalating in the area. Annually megayachts return to St Maarten, bringing with them the image of luxury. These crew arrive after working hard during the season and would like to have a bit of a good time. Sadly, however, there are bad elements around that wish them ill and are perhaps envious of their perceived wealth.
"I feel it is important that the captains, brokers, and agencies keep crew informed of the reality of the dangers out there, and that they make crew safety a priority until the authorities have shown that they have made progress in providing a safer environment.
"Such an accident can happen to anybody and all should take care equally."
EB
Related links:
Crewmember dies following attack in St Maarten
Death of Cheetah Moon chef - letter from the editor
SMMTA website
Click here to become part of The Superyacht Group community, and join us in our mission to make this industry accessible to all, and prosperous for the long-term. We are offering access to the superyacht industry’s most comprehensive and longstanding archive of business-critical information, as well as a comprehensive, real-time superyacht fleet database, for just £10 per month, because we are One Industry with One Mission. Sign up here.
