Keely Goodall10 July 2025 | 11:46

Mexican man (39) arrested for murder of South African superyacht worker Paige Bell (20)

Bell was found dead in an engine room with a slashed throat and injuries suggesting she tried to fight off her attacker.

Mexican man (39) arrested for murder of South African superyacht worker Paige Bell (20)

FILE: 20-year-old Paige Bell was murdered while working on a Superyacht. Picture: Crew & Concierge/Facebook

Paige Bell, a 20-year-old superyacht worker from Johannesburg, was found dead last Thursday while the boat she was working on was moored on a tiny island in the Bahamas.

Her body was partially undressed, with her throat slashed, and defensive wounds on her arms.

A 39-year-old fellow crewmember from Mexico, Brigido Munoz, has been charged with her murder.

He was found near Bell’s body with injuries on his arm that are believed to be from a suicide attempt, reports the Daily Mail.

Wounds on Bell’s arms suggest she tried to defend herself against the attacker.

Munoz has been denied bail and will remain in custody until his hearing on 20 November.

RELATED: 7 women murdered every day in South Africa – National Femicide Study

Bell was supposed to return home to South Africa on 14 July, and her loved ones had planned a huge celebration for what would have been her 21st birthday.

“It is such a tragic story.”
– Barbara Friedman

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