By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

SAMUEL “Sammy” Thompson was bleeding from the head and disoriented when he sent a video to his cousin after a night out in Rock Sound, Eleuthera.

It would be one of the last times Philicity Sands, his cousin and best friend, ever heard his voice.

He reportedly told her: “I don’t know why, I was only trying to help her. They were arguing and he just hit me.”

Thompson, 29, died nearly three weeks later in hospital, just two days before the second anniversary of his mother’s death. What began as a suspected concussion turned fatal, leaving his family shattered — and demanding answers.

“He kept saying he couldn’t see. I told him to calm down and relax,” Ms Sands recalled. “Then he was gone. No names. Nothing.”

Thompson had allegedly been struck in the head with a bottle at a nightclub on March 8 while trying to break up an altercation. He was initially treated by a local doctor, who diagnosed a concussion, but as the night progressed, his condition rapidly declined. He became incoherent, prompting the family to have him airlifted to New Providence the next day.

Doctors found swelling and bleeding in his brain. For a time, the family remained hopeful — but then, without warning, his condition deteriorated again. He lost consciousness and died on March 26.

Since then, his death has sparked public outrage online, with the hashtag #JusticeForSammy spreading rapidly across social media as people call for clarity, accountability, and justice.

Police never publicly reported the incident. When The Tribune reached out, Chief Superintendent Sheria King said no complaint had been filed at the time.

Superintendent Franklyn Neely, who heads the Eleuthera division, later confirmed that police received information about a fight at a Rock Sound club days after the incident and have since launched an investigation.

An autopsy is pending to determine the cause of death.

For now, uncertainty hangs over the case. The family has heard multiple, conflicting accounts of what happened that night. No arrests have been made; no charges filed.

“My cousin deserves justice,” Ms Sands said. “That’s not Sammy. Sammy doesn’t do altercations. He doesn’t do the back and forth. He doesn’t do drama and mix-up. That is not him. That is not of his character.”

“I don’t understand why anyone would feel the need to hurt him. It doesn’t make sense.”

Thompson, described as funny, kind, and full of light, had been looking forward to celebrating his 30th birthday in May. He last worked at Family Medicine Centre, had no known health issues, and left behind two sisters.

“He was definitely everyone’s favourite — favourite sibling, favourite cousin, favourite nephew and friend,” Ms Sands said. “He made everyone feel loved.”

Despite the silence from police, the family said they have remained in regular contact with investigators and have not criticised the handling of the case. Still, they say, the lack of information and accountability has made their grief harder to bear.