US Virgin Is - Sarm Joan Lillian Heslop, 41, British, aboard vessel Siren Song, St. John, 7 Mar 2021

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MsMarple said:
And more... Mr. Bane has a lawyer according to msm:

Bane could not be reached for comment on Heslop's disappearance. His legal counsel, David Cattie, released a statement on his behalf.

"Mr. Bane will not be sitting for any interviews," the statement said. "Mr. Bane's only hope is that Sarm is found alive and well. His thoughts and prayers are with Sarm and her family during this difficult time.

"Mr. Bane has spent countless hours searching for Sarm and will continue to do so. Ryan is devastated that Sarm is missing."
Friend of British woman missing in Virgin Islands calls for search of American boyfriend's yacht

Curious.
Click to expand...
VIPD: We Couldn’t Search Ryan Bane’s Yacht After Sarm Heslop’s Boyfriend Invoked 5th Amendment Against Self-Incrimination
 
MsMarple said:
RSBM
@Tortoise thanks so much for putting known information in one post!

I have a question about the day before (March 6):

Heslop had spent the day before her disappearance working her first full day on Bane’s charter catamaran, Siren Song, entertaining clients and cooking for them. They went ashore to a restaurant that evening and were anchored around 150 metres off shore for the night.
UK woman missing in caribbean

Nothing further is known about this. If Sarm had cooked for chartered guests on Saturday did they depart on Sunday morning? Had they spent that week hosting people?

I understand that currently we don't have that answer, I'm just curious. I can't help but feel like other than Sarm's friends no one is taking her disappearance seriously. I'm extremely disappointed in her boyfriend who apparently wasted no time hiring a lawyer and distancing himself from Sarm's disappearance. IMO he's not acting like a distraught lover. MOO.

How is Sarm supposedly traveling around the USVI, leaving no trail, with no passport, money or cell phone? Uh uh, not computing...
Click to expand...
VIPD: We Couldn’t Search Ryan Bane’s Yacht After Sarm Heslop’s Boyfriend Invoked 5th Amendment Against Self-Incrimination
 
Thank you Tortoise for this. Lot's of new information.
One thing I want to mention, although a bit of a long shot, the idea that she may have boarded another vessel that came by. This is not out of the norm.
Pleasure boaters, are a very community oriented, tight group. For the most part, we all know each other and the dock hands and yes, we like to boat hop.
It's fun to see how someone else has rigged up their boat and what new gadgets they've added.
I would be more likely to invest in this theory if she disappeared during earlier hours.
I don't give any credence to the friend who says he was distraught. Heard that story one too many times. Moo

Tortoise said:
TIMELINE for Sarm Heslop​

Late 2019 - “Wilson told CrimeOnline that Heslop, who has traveled extensively and lived in multiple countries, first arrived in St. John in late 2019. Prior to that, she had been working on the south coast of Spain and had taken up sailing with a friend. Eventually, she, the friend, and the friend’s partner sailed across the Atlantic to St. John” SOURCE CrimeOnline.

Jul 2020 - Sarm met Cpt. Ryan Bane [RB] while sailing with friends. His 47ft catamaran, Siren Song, is a Leopard 4700. SOURCE Telegraph

Oct 2020 - Sarm left RB and flew from Grenada to Malta, where she took up a job in a call centre in Malta. SOURCE Telegraph and Daily Mail

11 Feb 2021 - Sarm left Malta to return to the Virgin Islands. A friend of Sarm (“Flora the Sailing Chef”) said “I was sad to see her go and even more sad for Ryan. In my heart I prayed she would come back to him. Lo and behold a few months later she’s messaging me about ideas for cooking on boats! She was coming back to Ryan!!” SOURCE Telegraph. “Friends said the 41-year-old had been staying onboard the catamaran Siren Song with her American boyfriend, Ryan Bane, for "a couple of weeks". SOURCE BBC. “The decision to return to St. John was driven in part by her relationship with Bane, the friend said. Heslop now lives and works with Bane on Siren Song, a charter that he rents out, remaining on the vessel as its captain during tours.” SOURCE CrimeOnline.

1 Mar 2021, Monday - Sarm was chronicling her adventures on Instagram. A photo of RB’s dog on a beach posted on March 1st is said to have been her last post. SOURCE Telegraph

7 Mar 2021, Sunday - “There were text conversations happening right up until Sunday,” Wilson said, adding that he was not aware of anything out of the ordinary in her communications.” SOURCE CrimeOnline

7 Mar 2021, Sunday - Sarm spent the day working on Siren Song, entertaining and cooking for clients. SOURCE WestAtlanticMedia

7 Mar 2021, Sunday - Witnesses in another catamaran moored in Frank Bay [a group including husband and wife, DW and VH] say they saw Siren Song arrive in the bay that day and members in their group watched RB anchoring the vessel. Their boat was moored about 100ft away. Some members of the group saw RB and Sarm relaxing on the boat that afternoon and early evening. The group went to bed at about 10pm and didn't hear anything unusual during the night. Siren Song was in the same place the next morning and the dinghy was still on the boat. Siren Song is in a photo they took at about 8am on 8th March. (credit CrimeOnline/David Woody). SOURCE CrimeOnline.

7 Mar 2021, Sunday evening - DISCREPANCIES - Some reports say that, according to the coast guard, RB and Sarm sailed to French Bay on the island of St Thomas, over 6 miles away from Frank Bay, to eat at a restaurant. SOURCE VIFreePress and again here and The Sun. Other reports say they ate at a restaurant in Frank Bay, St John, SOURCE friend LT/Telegraph, friend AB/Daily Mail and BBC. Friend AB is also quoted in DM as saying “there seem to be many discrepancies in the timeline of what we have heard”. Friend LT also says "the couple would have taken a smaller boat to get to it [the shore]."


7 Mar 2021, Sunday 10:00pm - DISCREPANCIES - One report in The Sun says locals say they left the restaurant at 10pm in accordance with covid measures [island curfew]. A report in the Telegraph says RB told the coast guard that Sarm had gone to sleep at around 10pm. Another report says they had dinner at around 10pm and returned to the catamaran and watched a movie. Virgin Islands Daily News reports the coast guard as saying they had gone to sleep at around 10pm. The Daily Mail says RB went to sleep at around 10pm.


8 Mar 2021, Monday 1:00am - "Friends of Ms Heslop told The Telegraph there was a dog walker on Frank's Bay, where the vessel was moored, who told them 'he heard a scream' at 1am. The witness came forward after friends set up the FindSarmHeslop Facebook page." SOURCE DailyMail.


8 Mar 2021, Monday 2:00am - DISCREPANCIES - RB claims to have been woken by the sound of the anchor alarm , which sounds if the boat has drifted, and discovered Sarm was missing. All of her personal belongings, including phone and passport, were on the boat. These are in the possession of police. SOURCE DailyMail. A friend of Mr Bane's said … 'Ryan said his anchor alarm went off. He woke and found Sarm wasn't in bed. He got up and went around the boat but there was no sign of her.' SOURCE Daily Mail. A friend of RB's, Flora P, says "He called friends at about 2am to say he could not find her but did not immediately contact the authorities” SOURCE West Atlantic Media. RB's lawyer, David Cattie told CrimeOnline in an email that RB contacted Virgin Islands Police Department by phone at 2:30am and then took his dinghy to meet police on the shore and gave a statement and a photograph of Sarm. He also said that the coast guard searched the vessel that day at RB's request. The coast guard told Virgin Islands Daily News that her shoes and purse were also left on the boat, as well as stating "we do have indication that the person also reached out to 911,” in addition to calling the Coast Guard to report Heslop missing."


8 Mar 2021, Monday 11:46am - RB alerted the US coast guard stationed at San Juan, to Sarm’s disappearance. "He reported that his girlfriend may have fallen” from the boat,” the spokesman said. SOURCE The Sun. Sarm's best friend AB told Fox News "I find it incredibly difficult to say that she fell from a catamaran that was moored about 100 feet away from shore in shallow water while the boat was anchored." Sarm's friend LT told the Telegraph "it would have been completely out of character for her to try and leave the yacht at night to get to shore or go swimming. “She's very level headed, you know, she's very smart. I just can't see why she would get out of bed to go for a swim between the hours of 10.30 and one o'clock in the morning. I know she wouldn't” "She was a very strong swimmer, but she wouldn’t have chosen to go for a dip at night, and certainly not if her boyfriend was asleep." Friend Flora P told West Atlantic Media "The last message I had from him was ‘I’m in pieces’,” “He is totally distraught. He doesn’t like being in the public spotlight, it’s not his style. He just pursues his dream of living quietly on a yacht with his dog. He really is so confused.” “You might go for a night out and be sitting in the pub with her and then she’d disappear, not even say ‘See you tomorrow.’ Then the next day she’d be back. It wasn’t unusual” “I wouldn’t put it past her if she’d gone up [on deck] for a cigarette and someone went past on a dinghy and said ‘Come and party with us,’” said FP, speaking from the island of St Barts yesterday where she was working as a chef on a charter yacht.”

8 Mar 2021, Monday - The coast guard told Virgin Islands Daily News - "Investigators conducted drift analysis from the vessel that was reportedly anchored 50 yards from shore in Frank Bay and launched boat forces “that commenced a surface search of the shoreline, adjacent islands, and all the waters around and out to sea from where the vessel was located,” In addition, “we had a Coast Guard helicopter searching that afternoon and the search continued throughout the night,” “Conditions were excellent as far as visibility, sea state, and there were no signs of anyone in the water.” Investigators reached out to marine traffic in the area, but there were “no reports of anyone being found in the water,” he said. On Tuesday, “upon sunset the search was called off from that standpoint.”

9 Mar 2021, Tuesday, evening - Witness DW (in the catamaran moored 100ft from Siren Song Sunday/Monday) learned that Sarm had gone missing. He expressed surprise that RB did not attempt to contact him. By this time the group had moved to another bay and they discovered that locals were trying to locate them with regards to Sarm's disappearance. "DW said he then spoke on the phone to a woman who said she was a friend of Heslop’s and RB’s. Shortly after they hung up, RB unexpectedly called DW. During that brief conversation, DW says, RB advised him to give a statement to police, and gave him a VIPD detective’s contact information. DW says he called that detective, who said they were busy with another case at that time, but would follow up within a day. The detective never called him back, DW said. CrimeOnline has not been able to reach that detective as of Thursday afternoon.

10 Mar 2021, Wednesday - V.I. Police said the Coast Guard has taken the lead in the case, but search efforts have been unsuccessful. SOURCE VIDailyNews

11 Mar 2021, Thursday - "V.I. Police are now the lead agency overseeing the investigation into Heslop’s disappearance, Castrodad said. Police said a dive crew continued the search for Heslop on Wednesday without result. Castrodad said the Coast Guard stands ready to assist in the search, but “at this point we haven’t received any additional information or evidence” that would trigger further action." SOURCE VIDailyNews

15 Mar 2021, Monday - Derima declined to comment on whether investigators suspect foul play, or whether Bane is cooperating with the investigation SOURCE VIFreePress

16 Mar 2021, Tuesday - "A spokesperson for the U.S. Virgin Islands police told CrimeOnline Tuesday afternoon that he did not know if detectives had searched the catamaran. He also said he was unaware if investigators were seeking to obtain CCTV footage from businesses and residences in the area of Heslop’s last known location."

16 Mar 2021, Tuesday - "Trevor Velinor, Virgin Islands Police Commissioner, said: “The Department employs competent and committed individuals who are relentlessly investigating all possible leads into Ms Heslop’s disappearance. While we do have some concerns regarding the details thus far, detectives are thoroughly investigating the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.” He added: “We are working within the parameters of the law to gather all items of value to the case. We thank those who have provided information and urge others to come forward with any information they can provide, no matter if it seems insignificant." SOURCE West Atlantic Media

17 Mar 2021, Wednesday - A spokesman for the USVI police department told The Daily Telegraph: ‘We have not been able to search the boat yet and will do this in due course. It is something that will be done eventually.’ RB's lawyer is quoted as saying "‘Mr Bane will not be sitting for any interviews. Mr Bane’s only hope is that Sarm is found alive and well. His thoughts and prayers are with Sarm and her family during this difficult time,’ a statement from his lawyers said. ‘Mr Bane has spent countless hours searching for Sarm and will continue to do so. Ryan is devastated that Sarm is missing.’

18 Mar 2021, Thursday - "Virgin Islands Police Department said officers were still "actively" searching for Ms Heslop, "passing out flyers and making regular checks of Cruz Bay and Red Hook to see if we see her". SOURCE BBC.
"So far the police have checked almost everywhere on the tiny 20 square mile island of St John which is the smallest of the three American Virgin Islands and have been unable to locate her. Police divers have been scouring the water along the coastline ever since she was reported missing. Police are investigating the possibility that she may have abandoned St John's for the neighboring island of St Thomas. Toby Derima, of the USVI police department, said there had been possible sightings of her since she was reported missing but nothing they have been able to confirm." SOURCE DailyMail. "Although U.S. citizens do not need a passport to travel between St. Thomas and St. John, you do need an official government-issued ID like a driver’s license. British citizens, such as Heslop, would need to produce a passport to take the ferry." SOURCE VIFreePress.

18 Mar 2021, Thursday -Siren Song is not currently available for charter. SOURCE VIFreePress.
Click to expand...
 
LennoxLewis said:
VIPD: We Couldn’t Search Ryan Bane’s Yacht After Sarm Heslop’s Boyfriend Invoked 5th Amendment Against Self-Incrimination
Click to expand...

It seems as though VIPD told RB to contact the Coast Guard, he did so and submitted to their search of his vessel Siren Song (which he could not refuse), but then refused the request by VIPD to perform their own search of the SS, possibly after obtaining the counsel of Mr. Cattie.

Interesting. Would the USCG have filed a report of their search with any island authority?

I wonder about the people who chartered the SS and for whom Sarm cooked and entertained on Sunday. How long were they aboard, and when did they leave? Are there any observations of their interactions with Sarm and with RB?
 
Tortoise said:
I think it means she worked the Sunday and they're treating the Monday as the day of her disappearance when they say worked the day before. Otherwise they wouldn't have said worked and then went ashore to a restaurant that evening, IMO. It's not 100% clear but that was my interpretation.
Click to expand...
Yeah, it's a little confusing. According to the charter schedule, on the last day the guests are fed breakfast only, meaning they probably disembark after. March 7 was Sunday and Sarm disappeared some time between 10 pm that night and 2 am Monday morning.

So yes, I think you're correct. Their charter guests left that morning (Sunday) and Sarm and Ryan then sailed to Frank Bay and moored there in the afternoon, per the witnesses. I was mainly curious about the charter - not necessarily relevant to the circumstances, more like me being nosy as to how big the group was and if they've been questioned by LE. AFAIK they haven't said anything in msm.

Thanks again for the timeline!
 
Clears up some misconceptions here. Makes the boyfriend seem a lot less shady (assuming this article is correct):

VIPD: We Couldn’t Search Ryan Bane’s Yacht After Sarm Heslop’s Boyfriend Invoked 5th Amendment Against Self-Incrimination

On March 8, at approximately 2:30 a.m., VIPD officers met with Ryan Bane, Ms. Heslop’s companion, shortly after he contacted the 911 Emergency Call Center to report Ms. Heslop’s disappearance from the boat.

The Coast Guard conducted a search of the vessel for Ms. Heslop later that morning.
 
I am trying to picture scenarios that do not implicate the bf, where he is indeed distraught and at a loss.

What if they had a serious disagreement that night. Sarm was so angry that she wanted to get off the vessel. She did a "Sleeping with the Enemy" scene by swimming to shore. Didn't take anything with her, as she half planned to come back after she cooled off, and besides couldn't get her passport etc wet. Or /and she wanted to scare bf for whatever personal reason.
Something bad happened onshore, either nefarious or accidental.
Did she know anyone on St John's, friends, locals? Did she try to reach anyone in the middle of the night?

What else?
She got onto another boat? Someone was awake and invited her?

She was inebriated or affected by a drug, a medication, a neuro medical event? Paranoia? Hallucination? Got off the boat to escape some imaginary threat? (but... friends have described her as smart and down to earth...)

I dunno. Thinking aloud. Sarm needs to be found, safe hopefully, and hopefully there is an explanation. Stuff happens.
 
KALI said:
Thank you Tortoise for this. Lot's of new information.
One thing I want to mention, although a bit of a long shot, the idea that she may have boarded another vessel that came by. This is not out of the norm.
Pleasure boaters, are a very community oriented, tight group. For the most part, we all know each other and the dock hands and yes, we like to boat hop.
It's fun to see how someone else has rigged up their boat and what new gadgets they've added.
I would be more likely to invest in this theory if she disappeared during earlier hours.
I don't give any credence to the friend who says he was distraught. Heard that story one too many times. Moo
Click to expand...

I think it’s a long shot that another boat came along and picked her up, but then I am curious as to why the anchor alarm went off and woke him up at 2am.
 
janewall said:
It seems as though VIPD told RB to contact the Coast Guard, he did so and submitted to their search of his vessel Siren Song (which he could not refuse), but then refused the request by VIPD to perform their own search of the SS, possibly after obtaining the counsel of Mr. Cattie.

Interesting. Would the USCG have filed a report of their search with any island authority?

I wonder about the people who chartered the SS and for whom Sarm cooked and entertained on Sunday. How long were they aboard, and when did they leave? Are there any observations of their interactions with Sarm and with RB?
Click to expand...
Devil's advocate- his lawyer might know that local LE is corrupt and could plant something to end the case very quickly and get it out of the news. Pure speculation obviously. Interesting that he didn't call the coast guard until much later though; they would board the vessel and he would know he couldn't refuse. What was he doing in those hours between 2:30am and noonish?

It seems clear he contacted police much earlier (2:00-2:30am) and also called friends. This seems like normal behavior. With a boat moored 100ft away its hard to imagine anything "loud" happened in the middle of the night that went unnoticed. I am surprised VIPD hasn't been able to get a warrant to search the boat yet.
 
If the Coast Guard searched the boat then my innocent partner theory goes out the window. I was thinking if he didn’t do it but won’t allow a search then maybe he has drugs on the boat. But you wouldn’t invite USCG on board if you’re a drug smuggler.
 
Thank you for that timeline, Tortoise. Very helpful.

So I'm interpreting when she moved to Malta as them breaking up, and he convinced her to get back together, leading to her most recent time on the boat with him. And her disappearance.

Very concerning relationship with his ex-wife.

Poor Sarm.

moo
 
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