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Windward Bay

The police believe they are on to the person responsible for the homicide of American citizen Nina Elizabeth Nilssen, 30, whose body was discovered on Tuesday along a trail at Windward Bay near Pigeon Point beach.

Head of the Criminal Investigations Department and Assistant Commissioner of Police Jacques Ouellette described “The “person of interest” as tall, of African descent with an afro hairstyle, slimly built, and last seen wearing three quarter jeans.”

Additionally, the man is said to have a gold-capped front tooth with several other teeth noticeably missing.

Nilssen’s body was discovered at about 5 pm, Tuesday, lying face up with a single puncture wound to the neck.  She was dressed in the multi-coloured wrap skirt, beige top and leather sandals which she was wearing when she was last seen. Nilssen was 5 feet 9 inches tall and about 140 pounds.

Her multi-coloured shoulder bag was found on the scene, but the police have not disclosed whether anything was missing from it.

The dead woman, along with her parents, an uncle and aunt, sister and brother-in-law came to the island on Tuesday on a one-day excursion aboard the Royal Clipper. The gruesome discovery was made just as the cruise boat was preparing to leave Falmouth Harbour. The vessel was forced to leave the family behind to continue its cruise to St Kitts.

Reports indicate that Nilssen went off along a nature trail while the rest of her family remained on the beach where a birthday barbecue and lime was taking place. That was the last time her family saw her alive.

The path she took leading from that beach to another is narrow and surrounded mostly by Acacia (cassie) trees.

When this newspaper visited the scene yesterday, the English Harbour community was busy as business continued as usual.

Eventually, it became clear during interviews that hardly anyone knew there had been a homicide in the area the afternoon prior.

Workers, residents and visitors expressed shock when told of the incident.

“What! I am horrified. This is real shocking and terrible,” a 26-year-old chef said when she learnt of the death of the young woman.

Another woman who has been living in Antigua for the last 10 years said it was “disappointing” and “sad that some family is mourning the loss of their girl.”

The woman opined that signs should be put up in the area to warn persons, especially visitors, that the area is secluded and security measures are severely lacking.

“I wouldn’t walk there alone, ever. Hardly anybody goes there, so whenever I go, I take my four big dogs with me or I go with a group of friends,” said one English Harbour resident.

This newspaper then spoke with a young male visitor who was headed in the direction of where the body was found.

The youngster expressed shock, then dismay when asked about the incident and immediately took a U-turn.

“I am definitely not going down there now. I guess I’d be better off ‘cause I am scheduled to leave this Friday,” the lad said.

One businesswoman who has been living in Antigua for six years said, “It’s very disappointing and I don’t know if it could have been avoided even though persons should avoid trekking to that beach alone.

“A lot of tourists come and that’s what they want, they want to enjoy everything, the beach, landscape so they go wandering off into all sorts of places. It is for the officials to put systems in place in like security, tour guides or escorts, or cameras to help in every way possible,” the businesswoman woman said.

She added that most visitors would not welcome the measures because “there is a nude beach in the area and sure enough you wouldn’t want to be robbed of your privacy” as well as because “no one wants to come on a trip to be ordered around.  It’s all about leisure and relaxing.”

A male resident, who wished to be referred to as G Williams, said Nilssen’s killing is “sad” and it brought to his mind, the memory of the murder of Drew Gollan, the Australian yachtsman who was murdered in English Harbour on January 22 last year.

Nilssen’s body was found less than a mile away from where Gollan was gunned down and his girlfriend shot at.

With a week left before the Super Yacht Show, which leads up to Antigua Sailing Week, one yachtsman, who found out about the incident from the reporters, said “if this (the murder) gets out there it could have some effect like it did last year when the Australian guy was killed.”

The police have since issued an appeal for assistance in solving the crime and have asked anyone with information to contact them at the Criminal Investigations Department at 462-3913 or 462-3914, Dockyard Police Station at 460-1002 or Crime Stoppers- 800-TIPS (8477). Crime Stoppers has offered a maximum of US$2,000 for the capture and conviction of the perpetrator(s).


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