By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

POLICE Commissioner Shanta Knowles said yesterday the Royal Bahamas Police Force is standing by the official pathologist’s ruling that American tourist Dinari McAlmont drowned — even as the 23-year-old’s family rejects the finding and pushes for an independent investigation into what they call suspicious circumstances.

Commissioner Knowles, speaking yesterday at the opening of the RBPF’s Domestic Violence Unit, expressed condolences to the family and acknowledged the emotional toll such situations can have.

“Our pathologist has been working in this position for many, many years, and I am not going to defend the pathologist report,” she said. “What I will say is we stand on the pathologist report at this moment, and the investigation into this matter is continuing.

Commissioner Knowles said the matter would be handed over to the coroner once the investigation reaches that stage, adding that the coroner would make the final determination.

Her comments came as the McAlmont family publicly rejected the official cause of death and commissioned an independent autopsy, calling the circumstances surrounding Dinari’s death “suspicious.”

McAlmont of Bowie, Maryland, was found unresponsive on a Paradise Island beach early Saturday, April 5. He had been vacationing with his parents, Michelle Bacchus-McAlmont and Desmond McAlmont, when their family getaway turned into a nightmare of grief and unanswered questions.

The family checked into the resort around 8.30pm on Friday, April 4. After dinner, Dinari reportedly left the room, saying he was going to get something to eat. That was the last time his parents saw him alive.

Concern grew when he did not return. Police reportedly contacted Ms Bacchus-McAlmont around 5am on Saturday, April 5, to question her about her son. Officers informed her that Dinari’s body had been found lifeless on the beach.

Sometime earlier, between 2am and 3am, officers reportedly visited the family’s hotel room, alleging Dinari had “spat on staff” — a claim the family vehemently denies.

Police confirmed that a post-mortem examination had been completed and concluded drowning was the cause of death. Investigators are still awaiting forensic toxicology results but noted that “foul play is not suspected at this time.”

At a press conference on Friday, the family insisted there were visible injuries to Mr McAlmont’s face and upper body when they were finally permitted a brief viewing two days later.

The family has criticised the delayed opportunity to view Dinari McAlmont’s body and the limited communication from authorities since his death. His mother, Michelle Bacchus-McAlmont, a registered nurse, said a photo shown to her raised serious concerns, as she noticed what she believed to be signs of possible strangulation, including mucus-like fluid around his mouth.

She dismissed the suggestion that her son had gone to the beach on his own, saying he never enjoyed going there. She noted that even during a recent trip to Punta Cana, he avoided the beach entirely. Given that history, she said it was more plausible that someone harmed him and placed him there.

The family’s attorney, Keith Seymour Sr, criticised the Royal Bahamas Police Force for what he described as a vague and unprofessional press release, saying it failed to provide clear or conclusive information.

He questioned the decision to suggest no foul play was involved despite the ongoing nature of the investigation and what he sees as a lack of thorough inquiry. Mr Seymour said authorities had not yet gathered all the facts, including surveillance footage from the Atlantis property, before making such a determination.