Police in the United States Virgin Islands have made public surveillance video of Sarm Heslop, a British woman who went missing. The investigation into her disappearance, ongoing for four and a half years, has reached a standstill.
Sarm Heslop, a former Flybe flight attendant aged 41, was last seen with her boyfriend, Ryan Bane, an affluent American, at a restaurant near where his yacht was moored on St. John in March 2021. This marks the first release of footage by the local police capturing her movements on the night she vanished.
The release of the CCTV footage is intended to prompt public assistance in the case, as acknowledged by USVI Chief of Police Steven Philip. The video, recorded in Cruz Bay, depicts Sarm walking alongside Ryan Bane after spending about 90 minutes at a bar. Sarm is seen appearing unsteady before sitting on the dock and eventually boarding a dinghy.
The footage has been shared with the BBC for a forthcoming documentary titled “Missing in Paradise: Searching for Sarm.” Investigative journalist Tir Dhondy delves into the circumstances surrounding Sarm’s disappearance while retracing her final known whereabouts during a three-part series.
An inconsistency regarding the timeline has been identified by Ms. Dhondy, as the timestamp on the CCTV video conflicts with statements made by Ryan Bane to the US Coast Guard. Bane claimed he and Sarm returned to the yacht at 10pm, but the footage shows them departing the dock at 8.45pm.
The US Virgin Islands’ Police Commissioner, Mario Brooks, highlights the suspicious timeline, emphasizing the necessity to question Ryan Bane, the primary person of interest in the case. Bane has been uncooperative with authorities and is the last known individual to have seen Sarm before her disappearance.
Sarm, originally from Essex, had been residing on Ryan Bane’s yacht, Siren Song, following their meeting on the dating app Tinder. Bane, who has a history of assaulting his ex-wife, reported Sarm missing after being awoken by the boat’s anchor alarm at 2:30 am on the night of her disappearance.
The case remains classified as a missing person investigation, with calls from Sarm’s loved ones to reclassify it as a no-body murder inquiry to further the investigation. Sarm’s mother, Brenda, expressed her hope for closure and justice in the documentary, emphasizing the emotional toll her daughter’s disappearance has had on their family.
The BBC documentary will air over three nights, starting on September 17th, shedding light on the ongoing search for answers in Sarm Heslop’s disappearance.