- The family of 23-year-old Maryland man Dinari McAlmont, who was found dead while vacationing in the Bahamas, is speaking out against authorities, as they claim they have not been allowed to see his body and they worry about losing evidence
- McAlmont’s aunt shared a Facebook post asking for help as they attempt to keep the investigation open
- The Royal Bahamas Police previously said that McAlmont was found unresponsive on the beach and had drowned, but the family believes he was killed
The family of a 23-year-old Maryland man who was found dead while vacationing in the Bahamas is speaking out about the case, as they allege that he was killed, despite authorities’ ruling that his death was from drowning.
The relatives of Dinari McAlmont, including his mother and aunt, have turned to social media to ask for “international help,” as they claim they have not been allowed to view his body in the morgue following his death on April 5.
Marcelle Bacchus, Dinari’s aunt, wrote in a Facebook post on Friday, April 11, that his body was not released to the funeral parlor a day prior because the morgue misspelled his name.
“My sister is so frustrated. She has not seen her son as yet,” Bacchus wrote, adding that cameras were not allowed in the morgue and that Dinari’s family fears evidence will be lost.
“No cameras were allowed in the [morgue]. The police did not even share a picture publicly. No camera footage until now. We are afraid evidence will disappear,” she added, before calling on the public for assistance. “Please, we need some international help ASAP!”
The Royal Bahamas Police previously said that Dinari, a sound engineer from Bowie, arrived in the Bahamas on Friday, April 4, with family members. He later was found “unresponsive” on a beach on Paradise Island just 12 hours after arriving in the country.
Police said results from an autopsy done by a pathologist soon after revealed that Dinari died “as a result of drowning,” and that “foul play is not suspected at this time.”
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However, police acknowledged that they are still awaiting the results of a “forensic toxicology analysis,” which would determine whether “drugs, alcohol and other toxins” may have played a role in his death. They added that the investigation into the incident is still “ongoing.”
Dinari’s mother, Michelle McAlmont, claimed to Fox 5 DC and Eyewitness News Bahamas that her son had been “beaten” after local authorities showed her a photo of her deceased son for identification.
She added, “He was traumatized. His face is damaged. His teeth [had] a lot of froth. His hair that he normally takes so much pride in, he spent a lot of money on products. He takes a lot of pride in his hair — full of sand.”
Dinari and his parents had booked a weekend trip at the Atlantis resort in Nassau, Bahamas, from Friday, April 4, to Monday, April 7, Fox 5 DC reported. The night the family arrived at their destination, they had dinner and Dinari left his parents to explore the resort.
They said that nothing was amiss until hours later when resort staff members came to his parents’ room to ask about his whereabouts. According to Fox 5 DC, Dinari’s parents noticed that his location-sharing service had become inactive and then began searching the property.
The 23-year-old’s parents eventually filed a missing persons report when they were unable to find him. After 1 a.m. local time on Saturday, April 5, Dinari’s parents were contacted by police about a report that her son allegedly “had spat” at someone, though the details were unclear, per Eyewitness News Bahamas.
Resort staff eventually returned to Dinari’s parents’ room to inform them that he was dead, about 12 hours after the family had arrived in the country, Fox 5 DC reported.
A spokesperson for the Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas Resort told PEOPLE in a statement: “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.”
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