Chartered boat captain in the United States Virgin Islands, Ryan Bane, boyfriend of the missing British woman Sarm Heslop, last seen on her boat on March 7, was not named a suspect or person of interest in the case – but hired an important person defense lawyer and refused to allow the police to search his vessel.
He also raised anchor this week and left his dock, where Heslop had disappeared earlier this month, and his whereabouts are unknown.
Lawyer David Cattie did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News or if he knew where his client had gone. The police were also unaware of his whereabouts.
The 2011 Bane Domestic Violence Prison Reserve Photo. (Oakland County Sheriff’s Office)
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Other Cattie clients include Jeffrey Epstein’s ex-girlfriend and alleged facilitator, Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as a boat captain who was acquitted of manslaughter charges after a crewman went overboard and drowned off the US Virgin Islands. , the Daily Mail reported earlier.
Cattie, who lives in the Caribbean community, was representing Maxwell in a case involving Epstein’s property.
Sarm Heslop, a 41-year-old British woman, has been missing since 8 March.
She is currently facing a six-count charge in a series of charges, including child sex trafficking, and has maintained her innocence.
But he also helped defend a sailboat captain in a 2019 homicide case, convincing the judge to dismiss him for a technicality. He pointed out that his client had been charged under a law that applied to commercial captains while sailing privately, according to the Portland Press-Herald, based in the defendant’s home state, Maine.
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Bill Smith was accused of manslaughter of a sailor in connection with the 2015 death of a crewmate who jumped into the sea after the two fought, according to the newspaper.
David Pontius, the victim, was going through a mental health episode and became violent and irrational, according to witnesses.
He reportedly raved and accused the other members of the kidnapping crew – then attacked Smith. After a brief struggle, he jumped overboard.
Smith searched for him unsuccessfully with a searchlight, but supposedly did not turn the boat around.
He did not report Pontius’ disappearance for another 24 hours, according to prosecutors, the Press-Herald reported at the time.
Heslop has been missing since 7 or 8 March. Bane called 911 around 2:30 am on the 8th and reported that he was woken by the anchor alarm on his 47-foot catamaran and found that Heslop was no longer on board, according to local police. The two were spotted in the early evening at a local bar and left around 10 pm.
After he woke up and found she was gone, he called 911. Dispatchers told him to call the US Coast Guard – which he did not do for about 10 more hours.
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Bane was not named as a suspect or person of interest in the case.
He was convicted about a decade ago for domestic violence for beating his wife after a night out.
Cattie did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News.