Seeking justice: The Bell family's fight after Paige's murder aboard a luxury yacht
The family of 20-year-old South African Paige Bell has travelled to the Bahamas to seek justice for their daughter, who was murdered aboard the luxury superyacht where she worked as a stewardess.
Bell was found half-nude and severely injured in the engine room of the Far From It (FFI) yacht.
In a joint statement from the family and the yacht, Bell was described as having been full of life and hope.
"On behalf of the Bell family and the FFI team, we are at a loss for words to fully express our gratitude for the incredible outpouring of love and support shown on July 14. Paige was a beautiful, bold, and fiery spirit - a true firecracker.
"Your tribute, unity, and love honoured Paige in a way that she would have absolutely adored. There is no doubt she would have been ecstatic to know that her yachting family around the world celebrated with her."
Brigido Munoz, a 39-year-old Mexican man who was a fellow crew member and worked as an engineer, is accused of her murder.
He appeared before a court in the Bahamian capital, Nassau, yesterday.
He did not have to enter a plea, and his bail application was rejected.
The suspected murderer is scheduled to appear in court again on November 20.
In court, shocking facts about the alleged attack emerged.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
32 minutes ago
- The Citizen
Meta hands over user data in SA child pornography case
After a week of intense litigation, tech giant Meta has agreed to provide crucial user information, including phone numbers, IP addresses, names and physical addresses, linked to Instagram and WhatsApp accounts involved in distributing explicit child pornography. According to The Witness, this follows a ruling by Judge Mudunwazi Makamu in the Gauteng Division of the High Court in Johannesburg, compelling Meta to hand over the data. In addition, Meta has deleted 12 WhatsApp channels and 58 Instagram accounts found to be sharing sexually explicit content involving minors. The Digital Law Company (DLC), led by social media law expert Emma Sadleir, spearheaded the urgent legal application to protect South African children from digital exploitation. Sadleir said multiple channels and accounts had been posting various forms of explicit content. 'Following our urgent High Court application against Meta, we have secured a consent order that sets a critical precedent for online accountability and the enforcement of children's rights in the digital age,' said Sadleir. She described the outcome as a landmark moment in the battle to hold tech platforms accountable for the spread of harmful online content. During the litigation process, Sadleir said it became clear that some of DLC's demands extended beyond Meta's current technical capabilities. However, as part of the court-sanctioned consent order, the company has committed to taking three key steps to bolster child protection. These include establishing a two-year direct hotline between DLC and Meta to expedite the handling of urgent child protection cases, disclosing subscriber information for over 60 offending accounts across both platforms to enable families of victims to pursue justice, and permanently removing all accounts reported by DLC on behalf of victims. The ruling is seen as a 'David vs Goliath' by Sadleir, as the young team fought against 'an army of senior lawyers'. 'We remain deeply grateful to the survivors, families and schools who trusted us to act on their behalf, and to the broader public for their outcry and support. 'Moreover, we thank Ben Winks, Sanan Mirzoyev, as well as Rupert Candy, John Makate and Julian Govender from Rupert Candy Attorneys. This matter has shown, more clearly than ever, that urgent action is possible when the stakes are high enough and when our institutions are willing to rise to the occasion,' Sadleir said. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The South African
2 hours ago
- The South African
Gayton McKenzie reveals why Joslin Smith foundation is NOT active
Gayton McKenzie has set the record straight on why a foundation he established in Joslin Smith's name is not yet up and running. The Minister of Sport, Art and Recreation has taken a personal interest in the case of the missing Saldanha Bay girl who disappeared from her home last February. In May, Joslin's mom, Kelly Smith, and two others – Jacquin 'Boeta' Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn – have convicted and sentenced for kidnapping and child trafficking. In an X post, Gayton McKenzie clarified the confusion surrounding his vow to not only establish a foundation in Joslin Smith's honour, but donate his ministerial salary towards it. He posted on X: A simple search would have shown that the foundation is registered. We will make public the amount we have donated, which exceeds my salary. Explaining the delay, he added: 'It took long because someone already registered the name and wanted business opportunities from me in exchange for the name.' Gayton's post comes after media personality Dan Corder questioned if the foundation existed. 'Where is the staff, the premises, the website, the marketing, the work?' Dan asked. In July last year, Gayton McKenzie claimed that he was 'in the final stages' of registering a foundation in Joslin Smith's name. A month earlier, Gayton revealed that he would donate '100%' of his salary to the foundation, which he would establish to raise awareness of missing children in the country. In November, Gayton posted an update on Facebook: 'The Joslin Smith Foundation does not yet exist because we want to make sure we get it right. And don't just do it to please the members of other political parties who think this matter has anything to do with them. Gayton McKenzie vowed to donate '100% of his salary' to the Joslin Smith Foundation. However, this has yet to via Facebook: Gayton McKenzie 'It is a private, personal matter relating to my own funds. And what I choose to do with my own money. 'To rush into the creation of any foundation would be a mistake.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 . Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
3 hours ago
- The Citizen
WATCH: Kelly Khumalo and Her Bodyguard Dynamic
Under fire yet unshaken, singer Kelly Khumalo made headlines again not for her vocals, but for the imposing presence of a close protection officer tailing her every move on stage. Kelly Khumalo during the Nuna Official Launch in South Africa at Houghton Hotel's Exclusive Sejour Restaurant on July 08, 2023 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Nuna is a global brand with Dutch roots and has been focusing on creating smart, helpful, and bold baby gear since 2007. (Photo by Gallo Images/OJ Koloti) South African songstress Kelly Khumalo stepped out on stage in full Empress mode this past weekend. She delivered a passionate live performance, accompanied by a heavily armed bodyguard positioned closely behind her throughout her set. Kelly Khumalo is now performing with a bodyguard? — m a s h è s h a 💨 (@_mashesha) July 21, 2025 Dressed in a fashionable ensemble and backed by a full band in Dundee, KwaZulu-Natal, the Empini hitmaker exuded star power. However, it was the looming figure of her close protection officer (CPO) that stole some of the spotlight. Fans posted the video online. It's speculated that the presence of onstage security could be due to a video post the singer put on her Instagram. Kelly Khumalo and bodyguard Picture X Her clapback on Instagram, following fresh accusations tied to the Senzo Meyiwa court case, has fans and critics on edge. Kelly posted a video clip captioned with a fiery statement: 'From being dragged in that dirty court to sketchy podcasts? You never seize to amaze me. It's quite simple, though; if you strongly believe that I am capable of what you are accusing me of, come and get me and stop playing games! ❗️Till then, BACK OFF! #EmpressFELIZWE 👏🏽🐆' Her post comes hot on the heels of viral claims made on MacG's Podcast and Chill by controversial former advocate Malesela Teffo. Teffo alleged in a no-holds-barred interview that Senzo Meyiwa's death was not the result of a robbery gone wrong. Instead, he said it was an accidental shooting by Kelly during an argument. The July 17th episode has since racked up millions of views. While the public remains sharply divided, Kelly's sister Zandie Khumalo has slammed the renewed accusations and stood by her sister. On the 2022 season of Showmax's Life With Kelly Khumalo, the star shared her growing concerns for her safety. 'Security for me is literally everything,' Kelly admitted in her video diary. 'My last gig in KwaZulu-Natal, I received a threat two days before that they were going to kill me.' The singer also revealed that planning her Gospel Explosion concert in the Vaal included coordination with law enforcement officials due to ongoing threats. 'I have my CPO, a close private officer; they are officers of the law, just private ones. So they can arrest you.' This isn't the first time Kelly has performed with heightened security. The dramatic visual of a guard shadowing her every move on stage sent a clear message: she's not backing down. As the pressure mounts and speculation around Senzo's tragic death continues, Kelly Khumalo is choosing the mic and muscle to defend her name.
