A Canadian tourist who had been reported missing two days ago has been found dead. Her partially clothed body was found lying face down in a shallow hole, under a sea grape tree on the main road leading to Sandy Point, Abaco.
She had been sexually molested and her body had suffered multiple “chop wounds” around the face, head, neck and arms. Both of her wrists were almost severed.
35 year old Marcia Rose McKenzie was last seen at around 8:00 am on Saturday morning when she apparently went for “a walk”.
She had been reported missing by her male Bahamian friend, Harry Hanna, who is not a suspect in the investigation.
This is the latest in a series of murder, assaults, robberies and accidents which is negatively affecting the Bahamian tourism industry.
Once regarded as a peaceful vacation spot, The Bahamas came under international scrutiny in the 1980’s when it was discovered that many government officials were corrupt and some were involved in drug trafficking.
Since then, a corrupt and incompetent police force, a completely dysfunctional court system and crooked politicians have contributed to a rising crime rate and severe social problems.
Only recently, the man accused of murdering two female tourists on exclusive Paradise Island was acquitted of one murder and is appealing his manslaughter conviction for the other crime. The lack of an effective prosecution and jury tampering is believed by many to be the reason for the man’s acquittal, despite compelling DNA evidence proving his guilt.
In another recent display of police bungling and prosecutorial incompetence, a Bahamian magistrate acquitted a man who had attacked a tourist with a cutlass in broad daylight , saying the police prosecutors failed to make an adequate prosecution.
Murder isn’t the only crime scaring tourists away from these geographically beautiful islands.
Only last week, a two year old toddler was nearly killed after a runaway motorboat ran aground on the beach and struck the child in the head. The boat accident highlights the lack of safety regulations which currently allow boats and jet skis to operate in, or near highly populated swimming areas.
Earlier this year an Italian woman was struck in the head by an errant jet ski driver and in another incident a person was hit by a motorboat. Both accidents occurred near public swimming areas.
A recent exit poll in The Bahamas indicated that 1 out of 4 tourists vowed to never return to, or recommend the country as a vacation destination after receiving bad service, uncleanness and high prices.
With so many tremendous vacation spots in the Caribbean and with Cuba almost ready to open it’s doors to American visitors, it won’t be long before the reality of The Bahamas catches up with it’s misleading image as a prime vacation destination. What’s a tourist destination without tourists? Look at Haiti for an answer.
