Post by Amityville Rock on Dec 18, 2003 12:12:05 GMT -5
Missing Coast Guard officer's family suspects foul play
By DENISE PRATT
Nassau Guardian Staff Reporter
The family of missing Coast Guard officer Bobby Powell is suspecting foul play in the disappearance of the Chief Warrant Officer.
Missing for more than a month, Powell's boat was found abandoned eight miles North of Andros on December 28, according the United States Coast Guard Liaison of The Bahamas, Commander Thomas.
"He had so much to live for," said Bette Ann Powell, the officer's wife. Powell had been with the US Coast Guard for almost 20 years, and according to his wife he was soon to be retired and move onto a new job in Houston.
Commander Thomas said while he could not say exactly what had happened, there was "no sign of foul play on the boat and no sign of a struggle."
"It is very unusual for someone to disappear." While vessels have been found with no one on board, this is not a regular event, he said.
In Powell's case the boat was found with it's equipment turned off and it did not appear as if Powell had fallen off, but, he stressed, while there is no indication that foul play occurred, "it does not mean conclusively" that those things did not happen.
Investigators from the New Orleans Coast Guard have been in The Bahamas looking into the matter, he said.
In the meantime he was waiting to receive the reports of their findings, but these would not be forthcoming until the investigations were complete.
Powell was in the company of a Louisiana female companion, who reportedly flew back a few days before his disappearance occurred.
Mrs Powell told the Guardian that she was aware that her husband had been accompanied on his trip by another female. She further admitted that the couple's nine-year-old marriage had been going through some struggles. In fact, the Powells had been separated during the husband's trip to The Bahamas.
Mrs Powell said while she did not agree with his decision, she and her husband both still loved each other and there was a possibility that they were going to get back together.
"People have to do what they want to do, and those were his decisions," she said.
She said the entire family, especially the couple's four-year-old daughter Christina, is just devastated by her husband's disappearance.
The difficulty is "when someone is missing you do not know if they are dead or alive or hurting," she said.
While admitting that she is being kept informed about the investigations by the US Coast Guard, Mrs Powell said the Coast Guard seemed to be limited by what they were able to share.
She continues to appeal to the Bahamian public to come forward with any information they may have concerning her husband's disappearance.
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US Coast Guard missing American wife seeks help locating husband
By DENISE PRATT
Nassau Guardian Staff Reporter
A distraught American woman is appealing to the Bahamian public for any information which would assist her in locating her husband.
According to Mrs Bette Ann Powell, her husband, Bobby R Powell, chief warrant officer with the United States Coast Guard, was vacationing in The Bahamas when he went missing on December 27 last year.
In a letter to The Guardian, dated January 22, 2000, Mrs Powell said her husband's boat was found on December 28, 1999, abandoned.
Currently residing in Shreveport Louisiana, she said, "My family and four-year-old daughter are desperate for any information we can find about Bobby."
Mr Edward Ramotowski, chief counsel at the United States Embassy, confirmed that Powell had indeed been missing for more than a month, but the only information he could offer was that the US authorities are "looking into it."
Ramotowski said he could not elaborate on the investigations due to constrains placed upon him by the US Privacy Act, and suggested that The Guardian contact the US Coast Guard for further information.
Numerous messages left on the answering machine for the US Coast Guard Liaison of The Bahamas, however, were not returned up to press time.
Ramotowski said Mrs Powell was being kept informed by the US Coast Guard about the investigations into her husband's disappearance.
But Mrs Powell apparently has decided to carry out her own investigations into the unfortunate incident. She is asking the Bahamian media to keep her informed of any new revelations in the matter.
In her letter, Mrs Powell says, "If there are any newspaper articles about the continued search for him on file with any of your local paper, I would very much appreciate a copy of them. Anything you could send us we would be so grateful for."
But, information concerning the missing Coast Guard chief warrant officer is very scant. Even the Royal Bahamas Police Force seems not to be aware of the full details surrounding Powell's disappearance.
Superintendent Hulan Hanna, police press liaison officer, confirmed that the police department had been informed of the Coast Guard officer's disappearance by the American Embassy and assistance was offered, but "we were unable to locate the gentleman."
He said the force was unaware of any specific details concerning the case, except that the "boat had been abandoned and he (Powell) could not be located."
"We have not been able to get any information concerning his whereabouts," Superintendent Hanna said.
He could not confirm or deny whether Powell's disappearance had ever been disseminated to the public or included in the police crime report.
Having assumed the police public relations position in early January, the incident would have occurred prior to his arrival, he said.
The Guardian contacted Assistant Commissioner of Crime Reginald Ferguson for more detailed information concerning the investigation, but Mr Ferguson's response - through his secretary - was that he knew nothing more than what Superintendent Hanna has shared.
By DENISE PRATT
Nassau Guardian Staff Reporter
The family of missing Coast Guard officer Bobby Powell is suspecting foul play in the disappearance of the Chief Warrant Officer.
Missing for more than a month, Powell's boat was found abandoned eight miles North of Andros on December 28, according the United States Coast Guard Liaison of The Bahamas, Commander Thomas.
"He had so much to live for," said Bette Ann Powell, the officer's wife. Powell had been with the US Coast Guard for almost 20 years, and according to his wife he was soon to be retired and move onto a new job in Houston.
Commander Thomas said while he could not say exactly what had happened, there was "no sign of foul play on the boat and no sign of a struggle."
"It is very unusual for someone to disappear." While vessels have been found with no one on board, this is not a regular event, he said.
In Powell's case the boat was found with it's equipment turned off and it did not appear as if Powell had fallen off, but, he stressed, while there is no indication that foul play occurred, "it does not mean conclusively" that those things did not happen.
Investigators from the New Orleans Coast Guard have been in The Bahamas looking into the matter, he said.
In the meantime he was waiting to receive the reports of their findings, but these would not be forthcoming until the investigations were complete.
Powell was in the company of a Louisiana female companion, who reportedly flew back a few days before his disappearance occurred.
Mrs Powell told the Guardian that she was aware that her husband had been accompanied on his trip by another female. She further admitted that the couple's nine-year-old marriage had been going through some struggles. In fact, the Powells had been separated during the husband's trip to The Bahamas.
Mrs Powell said while she did not agree with his decision, she and her husband both still loved each other and there was a possibility that they were going to get back together.
"People have to do what they want to do, and those were his decisions," she said.
She said the entire family, especially the couple's four-year-old daughter Christina, is just devastated by her husband's disappearance.
The difficulty is "when someone is missing you do not know if they are dead or alive or hurting," she said.
While admitting that she is being kept informed about the investigations by the US Coast Guard, Mrs Powell said the Coast Guard seemed to be limited by what they were able to share.
She continues to appeal to the Bahamian public to come forward with any information they may have concerning her husband's disappearance.
-------------------------------------------------------
US Coast Guard missing American wife seeks help locating husband
By DENISE PRATT
Nassau Guardian Staff Reporter
A distraught American woman is appealing to the Bahamian public for any information which would assist her in locating her husband.
According to Mrs Bette Ann Powell, her husband, Bobby R Powell, chief warrant officer with the United States Coast Guard, was vacationing in The Bahamas when he went missing on December 27 last year.
In a letter to The Guardian, dated January 22, 2000, Mrs Powell said her husband's boat was found on December 28, 1999, abandoned.
Currently residing in Shreveport Louisiana, she said, "My family and four-year-old daughter are desperate for any information we can find about Bobby."
Mr Edward Ramotowski, chief counsel at the United States Embassy, confirmed that Powell had indeed been missing for more than a month, but the only information he could offer was that the US authorities are "looking into it."
Ramotowski said he could not elaborate on the investigations due to constrains placed upon him by the US Privacy Act, and suggested that The Guardian contact the US Coast Guard for further information.
Numerous messages left on the answering machine for the US Coast Guard Liaison of The Bahamas, however, were not returned up to press time.
Ramotowski said Mrs Powell was being kept informed by the US Coast Guard about the investigations into her husband's disappearance.
But Mrs Powell apparently has decided to carry out her own investigations into the unfortunate incident. She is asking the Bahamian media to keep her informed of any new revelations in the matter.
In her letter, Mrs Powell says, "If there are any newspaper articles about the continued search for him on file with any of your local paper, I would very much appreciate a copy of them. Anything you could send us we would be so grateful for."
But, information concerning the missing Coast Guard chief warrant officer is very scant. Even the Royal Bahamas Police Force seems not to be aware of the full details surrounding Powell's disappearance.
Superintendent Hulan Hanna, police press liaison officer, confirmed that the police department had been informed of the Coast Guard officer's disappearance by the American Embassy and assistance was offered, but "we were unable to locate the gentleman."
He said the force was unaware of any specific details concerning the case, except that the "boat had been abandoned and he (Powell) could not be located."
"We have not been able to get any information concerning his whereabouts," Superintendent Hanna said.
He could not confirm or deny whether Powell's disappearance had ever been disseminated to the public or included in the police crime report.
Having assumed the police public relations position in early January, the incident would have occurred prior to his arrival, he said.
The Guardian contacted Assistant Commissioner of Crime Reginald Ferguson for more detailed information concerning the investigation, but Mr Ferguson's response - through his secretary - was that he knew nothing more than what Superintendent Hanna has shared.