ITALY| There is much progress being made in the discovery of what really happened to two Bahamian men found dead on June 4 and 5th.
Bahamas Press is back in Italy this afternoon to pick up where we left off in this now serious investigation involving two Bahamian men who were found dead in a river in Italy two weeks ago.
Now, in our last report, we noted how His Excellency Ellison E. Greenslade, the High Commissioner of the Bahamas to the UK of Great Britain and Northern Ireland had landed in Italy to join the team investigating the deaths of these men. He assured the country that the matter had the full attention of the Italian Government and police on the ground were not just highly professional, but were making progress in the investigations.
The bodies of Blair John, 28, a Ph.D student at St. Mary’s University in Canada, and Alrae Ramsey, a Foreign Affairs officer, were discovered in the Po River in Turin some fifteen hours apart.
Preliminary autopsy reports now confirm both men were alive when they entered the river. This information is coming from that autopsy performed on Monday by coroner Paola Rapetti.
That report early report tell us both bodies have shown a rare but distinctive sign of drowning deaths.
What now makes this even more curious and even more confusing is the fact both Ramsey and John, in particular, were good swimmers. So what is this? But there is more.
We can tell you that, according to the autopsy evidence, both men had eaten just a few hours earlier. It also reveals that both men were drinking.
Ramsey’s bladder was full: an aspect that suggests he had been drinking, but it is still unknown whether the pair had ingested alcohol or chemicals. Such complete conclusions will only be revealed following the conclusion of toxicological results, which are now underway and could be revealed this coming week.
What did they eat and drink on the day of their disappearance? And, more importantly, everyone in the Bahamas and in Italy should want to know where did they eat and drink before they vanished into the Po River. Did they dine at a pub or restaurant? Perhaps this is why investigators are attempting to reconstruct a timeline using CCTV footage which will indeed reveal much more.
We know both Ramsey and John slept in a bed & breakfast in Via La Loggia 2. A room booked by Redmond Fraser, a close friend who remains publicly silent following this investigation. It is clear Fraser never made the trip, but made the reservations for three while in Minnesota.Additionally, we are learning more confusion surrounds the suitcases of the men. In the first week of the incident when BP team began our investigations, we were tipped off that mobile investigators had found the suitcases of the men in a dumpster. But this was false and not true. But, wait, and then this came: the bags were found.
The investigators claim they found the suitcases of the men in a closed room of the bed & breakfast, in via La Loggia 2, where the two friends lodged. And now police are trying to find out why the bags were moved, and, who moved them. This caused investigators to return to question operators of the B&B. Interestingly, in a major city like this, the B&B is not equipped with a video security system. Dat will hold ya!
We also know the wallets of the men are still missing and only Blair John’s phone has been found, but with damage to it. An attempt to salvage it is underway.
Ramsey was found near the Isabella bridge in the Po River. Some 15 hours later his friend John was fished out at Lungopo Antonelli, near Piazza Chiaves. Both are from the Bahamas. They had studied in Minnesota at St. John’s University. They decided to meet on the week of May 28th in Turin with another friend.
Meanwhile the family feeling the deep pain of this tragedy are confused. Something is just not adding up in all this and the promise of answers are not coming fast enough.
We report yinner decide!
