FL FL - Isabella Hellmann, 41, catamaran off Cay Sal, SE of the FL Keys, 14 May 2017 #1 *GUILTY*

[Hiandmighty]

Do you find it curious she, with much less experience, was navigating the cat at night? Also, does sailing at night require the use of instrumentation or GPS? I keep thinking of piloting a plane at night. No horizon so the pilot must be instrument trained. Sorry if this is an obvious question. My only experience is with a ski boat!

Everything regarding boating is based on laws, experience, judgement, training, etc.

Given that we don't know what kind of boat and what kind of navigation, I really don't find it curious if they went to low power/simply maintain course, great night for boating, calm seas, good weather forcast, with him needing some rest and she feels comfortable with her tasks.

 

[JanetElaine]

Isabella is a Colombian. Did she become a US citizen by marriage or did she take a test? I'm asking bc I wonder if that has something to do with why Lewis could only see her every so often, even though they'd seen each other for 4+ years. She had/has her own business. He had the same business. If you own a profitable business in the US, like 150k or more, it's easier to become a citizen. Plus Isabella was married previously to an American, which made her a citizen. Would any of this have helped Lewis to become a citizen, or no?

bbm

You don't become a US citizen (USC) just by marrying a USC. You can apply for immigration benefits based on the marriage and be allowed to immigrate to the US, then become a permanent resident if applied for, and then years down the road you can apply to become a USC. All people who naturalize to USCs go through the same naturalization process and all have to do interviews and take tests, no matter which kind of visa allowed them to gain access/stay in the US to begin with.

FWIW I do not know which citizenship(s) Isabella carried. Colombia does recognize dual citizenship so she could have both Colombian and US citizenship.

The baby needed a passport too, and there are sometimes issues around one parent taking a child without a permission letter from the other, butbI guess it could have all been expedited.

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The baby is 9 months old if I recall correctly, not a newborn... they'd have had plenty of time already to get her a passport.

 

[Hiandmighty]

I wonder what his current us visa situation is... since he is isn't a us citizen, his visa may have been expiring anyway. Seems to me he resides legally in either Australia or England... but as mentioned, maybe he went to BVI with Emilia?

 

[JanetElaine]

I wonder what his current us visa situation is... since he is isn't a us citizen, his visa may have been expiring anyway. Seems to me he resides legally in either Australia or England... but as mentioned, maybe he went to BVI with Emilia?

BVI entry requirements for UK citizens: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/british-virgin-islands/entry-requirements

As far as Bennett's legal stay in the US, there are just too many possibilities where he could still be legally able to stay. Just too many to guess without knowing his exact status.

 

[Mercedes]

"Hellmann, a Colombian national, had gone through a difficult local divorce and became a real-estate broker. Court records show she and Bennett married in the Atlanta area in February."
http://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/news...mystery-missing-woman/5reNR5lTYpl2kcOKNxdxaP/


It appears that she is not a US citizen...

http://palmbeachpost.com/news/crime-law/don/leabe-with-baby-friend-told-isabella-husband


In an article in the Palm Beach Post, dated May 31, 2017, Isabella's friend was quoted as saying:


"She later became a U.S. Citizen, Cortes said."

 

[JanetElaine]

Everything regarding boating is based on laws, experience, judgement, training, etc.

Given that we don't know what kind of boat and what kind of navigation, I really don't find it curious if they went to low power/simply maintain course, great night for boating, calm seas, good weather forcast, with him needing some rest and she feels comfortable with her tasks.

I posted some weather in the area around those dates a bunch of pages back. If you were able to catch that post, maybe you can give some insight?

It does make sense if the weather is good and uneventful that this would be a good opportunity to gain some experience on night watch.

 

[Mercedes]

Couple of things: I know a man like this one. My friend is a genius. Not only is he super smart, he started buying land at age 15 one acre at a time. Now he owns thousands of acres of timber land, worth millions. He has a biology degree, but if you asked him what he did for a living he would say mechanic. He was an auto mechanic for some time, working at a dealership. He built his own house, a mansion by anyone's standards... it took him 5 years.

Bennett, it seems, was some kind of yacht charter captain. Maybe he was a plumber at some point and that is what he told people because everyone knows what a plumber does. Few people understand boating and sailing and the culture, so maybe he doesn't feel like saying charter captain because it is too complicated to explain. Maybe he charters for super wealthy people and has non disclosure agreements. Any number of things could be in play here.

Maybe she was supposed to wake him at 11 pm, but she fell off before the impact and he kept sleeping until the collision.

Sailors have sailing friends, who are all around the world. They would be hard to track by reporters to get character assessments of him.

There have been no new articles. We will have to see if in the next few weeks anything develops...

That is an interesting idea. Maybe, for some unknown reason, Isabella fell off the boat sometime earlier, and then, later, the boat collided with something and Mr. Bennett awakened to find her gone. I don't think this idea has been considered before.

 

[KelsK]

How do we know he wasn't distraught?

I'm sorry if you misunderstood. I was just stating my opinion that if I was in that situation, being distraught, I wouldn't have left and gone home. I wouldn't have abandoned my catamaran, as the captain and not come back to claim it. I also wouldn't have abandoned my wife. My goal wouldn't be to take my child and leave the country as fast as I could. But as I said, everyone acts differently when a tragedy has occurred!

 

[tiffay01]

I've been wondering why her family would be so determined to get her items. Did the security cameras back up to the laptop or iPad? Why didn't IH take her ring, or iPad, or computer with her. I understand not wanting to lug a ton of stuff around, but to me it's better to have backup in case the other iPad had issues, or it got broken or lost. iPads are small enough and don't use much space. So did they think there was possible security tapes and footage and thus they took it to protect it? Or, did Bennett take these items and claim they were stolen? I hope that police have searched the landfill to locate the items that were being thrown out (per the neighbor).

I still don't understand why the coast guard wouldn't go back out at dawn to attempt to locate the boat and see if there was any possible way of searching it for IH. I still think she could have gone to the bathroom or fallen asleep and when they crashed it rendered her unconscious so when he was calling her name she couldn't answer and he assumed she had fallen overboard. Of course the other side of the coin is that he planned to off her and had to wait to do it. However, why wait until thy were headed home? She had very limited access to the family to begin with, since her phone was broken. I am guessing to establish the alibi.

All of that to say, why wouldn't the coast guard go back out one more time to look for IH? Not retrieve the boat but to get a better look in the day light. They said it quit working after 24 hours, he was rescued at 4:30am plenty of time to have done a final search prior to loosing the connection. IMO

 

[Hiandmighty]

Coast Guard did a 6,000 sq mile search for several days before calling off recovery efforts.

 

[Hiandmighty]

Coast guard suspended search on May 18 at 8:45 pm.
"DELRAY BEACH, Fla. - The Coast Guard announced Thursday evening that the search for Isabella Hellmann of Delray Beach has been suspended.

The search was suspended at 8:45 p.m.

"Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of Ms. Hellmann in this difficult time," said Capt. Aldante Vinciguerra, chief of response for the Coast Guard Seventh District. "Suspending a search is never an easy call to make and was made with deep consideration in this tragic case."


http://www.wptv.com/news/region-s-p...st-guard-suspends-search-for-isabella-hellman

Even if she had a life jacket on, sea temps are much lower than our body temps and depending on her body, she likely died of hypothermia (taking his story face value) within a day, maybe two. (If she didn't have a head injury or marine life found her etc etc). Night temps are lower, so she would have lost body heat quickly early on..

 

[msphilosopher]

What blows my mind is I have not seen one report that they attempted to search Cay Sal?

The cat was 30mi from the uninhabited island that's not unreasonable if she knew which direction was nearest to land.

 

[Hiandmighty]

You mean to swim? Hard to swim with life jacket on. Depends on tide, weather conditions, last time you ate and drank, how much body fat, hypothermia, etc. I would think 6 miles would be tops... just my guess.

I did read an incredible account of an old salt who decided to kill himself by sinking his old boat but he survived in the Gulf stream. I'll try to find it because it was so interesting. He more or less just floated and waited to die, but he didn't die and wound up eventually near a fishing boat.

ETA: found this article looking for that one:

How are people lost at sea found? (Mentions the NFL players from years ago)

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/people-lost-at-sea-found/

 

[Satchie]

Coast guard suspended search on May 18 at 8:45 pm.
"DELRAY BEACH, Fla. - The Coast Guard announced Thursday evening that the search for Isabella Hellmann of Delray Beach has been suspended.

The search was suspended at 8:45 p.m.

"Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of Ms. Hellmann in this difficult time," said Capt. Aldante Vinciguerra, chief of response for the Coast Guard Seventh District. "Suspending a search is never an easy call to make and was made with deep consideration in this tragic case."


http://www.wptv.com/news/region-s-p...st-guard-suspends-search-for-isabella-hellman

Even if she had a life jacket on, sea temps are much lower than our body temps and depending on her body, she likely died of hypothermia (taking his story face value) within a day, maybe two. (If she didn't have a head injury or marine life found her etc etc). Night temps are lower, so she would have lost body heat quickly early on..

Imagining it, it seems a horrible way to die, especially when you have a 9 month old back home, I hope it was over quickly.

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[Hiandmighty]

Not the story I was looking for, but another story of survial aftter MOB: http://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/news/a45615/bill-durden-stranded-at-sea/

"One thing he didn't think about was death. "I was really pissed off at myself for being so dumb. I thought, This is too stupid to die over. I'm retiring, and I'm going to get at least one of those retirement checks."

Before daybreak, he saw two shrimp boats coming toward him. He mustered the energy to wave and scream. But as he swam closer, he realized he was hallucinating.

As the sun rose, he started to dry heave. He had diarrhea and his swollen tongue filled his bone-dry mouth. But he'd found the buoy of a crab trap to hang onto. Just before 10 a.m., he saw something hovering above him. At first he thought it was a UFO, but then he realized it was a drone, 3 feet by 3 feet.

"I thought, the Coast Guard is using a drone to find me! I knew they would. That drone hung over me for 10 to 15 minutes." But the Coast Guard didn't follow. Had he imagined it? He doesn't think so, but he can't be sure."

 

[Satchie]

I've been wondering why her family would be so determined to get her items.

So your beloved sister/daughter is lost at sea, you're hoping for news that she's been rescued, you're imaging her floating out there alone in the dark, you're looking after her baby.

Maybe they wanted the photos on her ipad, her treasured ring, her favorite clothes, because these objects reminded them of her, they wanted to pray over them, and keep them close because they were a way of keeping her alive, rather than leave them abandoned in her empty apartment.

Just saying, it's not necessarily about money.



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[Hiandmighty]

True, they may not have been looking for evidence. They may have wanted to pray over some items with symbolism of her and her existence.

 

[Hatfield]

I've been wondering why her family would be so determined to get her items. Did the security cameras back up to the laptop or iPad? Why didn't IH take her ring, or iPad, or computer with her. I understand not wanting to lug a ton of stuff around, but to me it's better to have backup in case the other iPad had issues, or it got broken or lost. iPads are small enough and don't use much space. So did they think there was possible security tapes and footage and thus they took it to protect it? Or, did Bennett take these items and claim they were stolen? I hope that police have searched the landfill to locate the items that were being thrown out (per the neighbor).

I still don't understand why the coast guard wouldn't go back out at dawn to attempt to locate the boat and see if there was any possible way of searching it for IH. I still think she could have gone to the bathroom or fallen asleep and when they crashed it rendered her unconscious so when he was calling her name she couldn't answer and he assumed she had fallen overboard. Of course the other side of the coin is that he planned to off her and had to wait to do it. However, why wait until thy were headed home? She had very limited access to the family to begin with, since her phone was broken. I am guessing to establish the alibi.

All of that to say, why wouldn't the coast guard go back out one more time to look for IH? Not retrieve the boat but to get a better look in the day light. They said it quit working after 24 hours, he was rescued at 4:30am plenty of time to have done a final search prior to loosing the connection. IMO

"The ring" Hmmmmm. I sure hope LE got any photos off any of the devices after they left.

If they kind find even one photo where she has that ring on after she left on the airplane to fly to meet him then they could prove she brought it with her. So what was it doing back at the house ?

I think she would have wore it on the trip. There are places on a boat to keep it for keepsake and she would have wanted to show it off while traveling IMO.

Airport security may have a photo of her with the ring on. Or carrying the IPAD.

Hope LE can test the IPAD for any salt water from the ocean. If any sprayed on the IPAD then they can prove it was on the trip too.

It could be some good circumstantial evidence. Depending on the interrogation questions when LE questioned him.

 

[Hiandmighty]

One more interesting story: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/05/magazine/a-speck-in-the-sea.html?_r=0

"The Coast Guard search was off to an excellent start. It was a clear day with good visibility, and they had plenty of assets in place. The only problem, of course, was that everyone involved was searching in entirely the wrong place. Aldridge did not fall in the water at 10:30 p.m.; he fell in at 3:30 a.m. Almost 30 miles south of where the Jayhawk crew was carefully searching for him, Aldridge was clinging to his boots in the cold water."

 

[Hiandmighty]

I don't wear jewelry when boating or traveling. For boating because it can get lost or banged up. For traveling, ESPECIALLY in the Caribbean-- attracts too much attention/theft and IMO is in very poor taste because those islands are so very poor.

For traveling, I do wear a 2mm plain platinum wedding band. Everything else stays at home. For boating, I don't even wear it.

I did bring a pair of London topaz stud earrings-- my very favorite-- in our RV because we were headed to a function where we were expected to dress up. I was heartbroken to lose one in the RV. I searched high and low because I know for a fact it was lost in the RV and I was never able to find it. A boat is even worse...

ETA: if you are wearing rings on the boat and the sway causes you to lose balance and jam or break a finger, now you have to get the ring off before it cuts off circulation, and if you can't do that you better have a dremmel and cut it off yourself!