Ryan Bane, the American whose British girlfriend disappeared more than two weeks ago in the United States Virgin Islands, dismissed a Daily Mail reporter who asked him about the case on Wednesday, saying “no comment” four times.
Jeff Jones, who has been helping with the search for Sarm Heslop, told Fox News that he spotted Bane on his 47-foot catamaran, Siren Song, on Wednesday morning.
A Daily Mail reporting team followed Bane when he went ashore in a boat around 3 pm and shouted questions about the couple the night before and why he didn’t allow the police to search the boat.
Bane said “no comment” four times before walking inland with his yellow lab.
THE SARS HESLOP BOYFRIEND DISAPPEARED IN THE BOAT THAT THE BRITISH FRIEND DISAPPEARED FROM: EYE WITNESS
The couple went to dinner on March 7 at a local restaurant before returning to the boat at around 10 pm. Bane woke up to find that Heslop had disappeared around 2:30 am on March 8, so he called 911 to report his disappearance. About nine hours later, at 11:46 am, he called the United States Coast Guard, who interviewed him on the ship and did an extensive search.
Sarm Heslop, 41, was last seen on a boat at anchor in Frank Bay, off the coast of the U.S. Virgin Islands, on March 7.
The Virgin Islands Police Department said that shortly after Heslop’s disappearance, Bane hired a lawyer and “exercised his constitutional right to remain silent and denied officers’ requests to search the ship.”
Bane’s friend told the Daily Mail that he is disturbed by his girlfriend’s disappearance and concerned about the VIPD’s ability to conduct the “investigation clearly”.
“He is concerned that something might go wrong or be misinterpreted, or that they will look for something that involves him, not the other way around,” the friend told the media.
VIRGIN ISLANDS DISAPPEARANCE: FRIENDS OF MISSING UK WOMAN PRESS FOR NEW AMERICAN BOYFRIEND SEARCH
Bane was arrested in 2011 for allegedly assaulting his ex-wife when the ex-couple returned from a Michigan wedding, according to Crime Online.
The FBI confirmed on Wednesday that it is assisting local authorities in the investigation.
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His family said they were “shocked and disturbed” by Heslop’s disappearance and pressured local authorities to intensify the search.
“We would like to make sure that the authorities in the Virgin Islands are doing everything possible to find her and that the investigation into the disappearance of our beautiful and beloved daughter includes a comprehensive fingertip search of the boat,” said the family in an announcement.