The mother of a Maryland man who was found dead hours after arriving with his family on a vacation in the Bahamas at a private beach resort claims her son was “beaten to death.”
On April 4, 23-year-old Dinari McAlmont traveled with his parents to the Caribbean Dinari Island and stayed at the Atlantis Paradise Island resort.
McAlmont was last spotted alongside his parents having dinner when he left to grab a jacket and explore what the resort looked like before 9 p.m., as per Fox 5 Washington DC.
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After a while, officials at the resort asked his mother where he was as they began accusing him of spitting on multiple staffers inside a restaurant.
Dinari’s mother explained that her son’s phone location was not working prior to her decision to file a report about a missing person, adding that she did not find the resort’s allegations against her son to be valid.
Cops arrived to search the resort until McAlmont’s body was found on the shoreline on Paradise Island with “no vital life signs” only after 5:30 a.m. April 5, according to the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
Since then, an investigation has been launched to find out the cause of death, and police have revealed they won’t be declaring it a murder until the results of an autopsy are released.
A picture of McAlmont’s dead body on the beach was shown to his mother, who said it was the hardest thing she ever had to do as her son didn’t look recognizable with his injuries.
“When I looked at the photo they showed me, my son was beaten; he was traumatized,” Michelle McAlmont said to Bahamian outlet Eyewitness News.
The mother of the deceased revealed that the photo presented her son with a damaged face, with sand in his hair and froth on his teeth. “That tells me they beat my son down in the sand. I need justice for my baby. I need justice,” she added.
The grieving mother said she was left with mixed emotions, feeling anger, frustration and a lot of hatred after her son’s passing.
“What could I have done differently to protect my child and keep him safe, so that he would be alive today,” she told Fox 5 Washington DC.
According to the New York Post, McAlmont’s parents are in search of a lawyer who specializes in international cases while they await the results of the police investigation.
“I would expect nothing more than a full and thorough investigation,” Michelle McAlmont said.
The Bahamian resort stated that it is working with police to smoothly aid the investigation.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of one of our guests. Our thoughts and condolences are with the guest’s family and loved ones during this difficult time. This is an active police investigation, and we are fully cooperating,” the resort told Fox 5 Washington DC.
The US Department of State advised Americans to not travel to the Bahamas, placing a level 2 advisory on the nation in the Caribbean.
On March 30, The “Exercise Increased Caution” level was announced as the country has reportedly experienced loads of heinous crimes and deaths of tourists visiting the island.
