American visitor found dead at popular Antiguan beach

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Police say they are seeking to determine the motive behind Tuesday’s killing of an American visitor to the island that has prompted emergency talks involving tourism stakeholders.

The body of Nina Elizabeth Nilssen, 29, who arrived in Antigua and Barbuda aboard the pleasure boat “The Royal Clipper”, was discovered at the popular Pigeon Point Beach by a British tourist at around 5PM Tuesday.

A police statement said the victim was wearing a multicolored wrap skirt, a beige blouse and leather sandals. Her  body was found lying face up, bearing a stab wound to the neck and while her shoulder bag with belongings were found close to her body, Senior Sergeant William Holder said it was too early to rule out robbery as a motive.

An autopsy has been scheduled for next week.

The police spokesman told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) investigators were looking for a person of interest who may have information that could move them closer to finding Nilssen’s killer.

The individual is described as a tall and slim black male with an afro-type hair style. He had a gold tooth, was missing some teeth and was wearing 3/4 length jeans.

Meanwhile, tourism stakeholders spent Wednesday afternoon in a meeting discussing a coordinated response to the country’s first homicide for the year.

However, this is the third killing involving a tourist over the past two years. The first such highly publicized incident  involved British honeymooners Benjamin and Catherine Mullany and the second Australian captain Drew Gollan last year.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Authority Chief Executive Officer Colin C James appealed for anyone with information to come forward.

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20 Comments

  1. September 28, 2010

    I always inspired by you, your opinion and attitude, again, appreciate for this nice post.

    – Murk

  2. January 31, 2010

    a few weeks ago i came to this page when i was searching for info on the murder. I saw the comments and thought it was premature since we here in antigua who are born here only make up 50% of the population. Of course Antigua is always in the news for some horrible thing or the other and I guess I can understand why so many other caribbean islands like to cuss us. Anyway, as this young Dominican kid sits in Jail after being caught with the girls camera and confessing to killing her, the comments here seem even more discusting. The Caribbean is not the place we knew 20 years ago. We all need to look at ourselves and ask what we can do to make it better. Blaming others isn’t gonna work!

  3. westend
    January 31, 2010

    i have heard the news in Antigua alot, and it is so sad that a Dominican Man was charge with the murder of the american tourist in Antigua. We need to stop blaming THE ANTIGUAN cause its our Dominicans are doing the crime also. They should hang that dominican man your going to other people’s country to commit a crime. DOMINICANS KILL OUT. I read all the comment that was viewd by the DOMINICAN on the site and they don’t even know that carry on in Antigua. I am a Dominican but you have to live in Antigua to know what is doing on.

  4. antiguanboy
    January 31, 2010

    All these dominican are talking and commenting about Antiguan kill tourist guess what A 29 yr old Dominican Man was charged today at the high court for killing the tourist. Most of these crime in antigua is not done by Antiguans it is done by foreigners. So all of you Dominican you have something to talk about now

  5. January 24, 2010

    As the sister of the Australian Captain that was shot and killed last year. I can only say. PLEASE, the Authorities of Antigua need to get their .. together. My brother was MURDERED. Gunned down in the street like a rabid dog. My mother died on Boxing Day of a broken heart. He left behind two beautiful daughters. This is just so wrong. What made tingles run down my spine, was that the girl who died this week was named Nina. Look, just get this sorted. By the way, what the hell is happening to my brothers murderer?????

  6. just a thought
    January 22, 2010

    Tourism will die in the region eh, cause y’all don’t know how to act. Geez when have the caribbean people become so senseless and desperate. Geez.. This is what happens when you remove punishment in school (caining), U adapt American system giving kids time out and not giving them the idea or appreciation of consequence…. Kids grow up feeling like they run the place and can do whatever the hell they want. I remember being a teacher back in 2001-02 in the north of Dominica and they brought in the education act, that very time it was enacted a student stabbed another with a scissors in his neck… so bloody disgusting. Shame

  7. sick at hearing this
    January 22, 2010

    such a small island with such a small population and the woman was there just for a few hours!
    killed senselessly in daylight! boats should stop coming to the island.

  8. dbrown
    January 22, 2010

    Shame, they need to make examples of the killer or killers by bring back hanging.

  9. WELL WELL WELL
    January 22, 2010

    I ONLY HOPE THE POLICY MAKERS HERE ARE READING THE SAME STORIES THAT I READ.
    IF WE DON’T CURB OUR CRIME RATE AND PRODUCE JOBS FOR THE YOUTH HERE ,GOD FORBID THAT MAY SOON BE US IN THE NEWS.

    GOD BE WITH US

  10. antiguan
    January 22, 2010

    antigua has so many dominicans, jamaicans, guyanese, dominican republic nationals, chinese, arabs, english, canadians, italians, montratans and all others that when this kind of thing happens it’s funny to hear people blame “Antiguans”. Of course this could have been done by an antiguan, but cummon people….. whoever did this sick crime can’t possibly represent an entire country or culture.

  11. mouth of the south
    January 22, 2010

    @ VILLAGER saying is not antiguans that necessarily commit these crimes but the migrators raises questions as to who those migrators may be,,,,,,,,,,,, it is well known that antigua has a high populace of dominicans,,,,, is that who u r implying? tsk tsk tsk hhhmmmm

  12. d/can in j/a
    January 22, 2010

    I understand that there r quite a few Jamaicans in Antigua committing crimes and such, so as someone else stated its could be a migrant.

    Its not a good look at all though. It affects us too, tourism is key to the Antiguan economy and we kno a lot of Dominicans r up there. Plus the stability of the EC dollar requires stable economies within the OECS.

  13. villager
    January 21, 2010

    it is not necessrily the antiguans who commit these crimes usually the migrators.

  14. January 21, 2010

    hmm!u think is bad name for antigua alone,bad name for the caribbean dat is wat dat is goin to happen.

  15. mouth of the south
    January 21, 2010

    well antigua n st. lucia start messing it up for the o.e.c.s well i jus hope dominica don’t follow suit,,,, cause we putting tyani to oversee dat case

  16. de caribbean change
    January 21, 2010

    What is wrong with dem Antiguans? Let’s take dem to the gallows right away. Antigua on fire, according to Kaiso Joe.

  17. $uper$aver
    January 21, 2010

    WAT A SHAME ANTIGUANS!

  18. January 21, 2010

    GOOD JOB A…HOLES..KILL ALL YOU TOURISUM AND BLAME OTHERS..

  19. Joker
    January 21, 2010

    And the region ! This is damn nonsense for a region dependent on tourists

  20. January 21, 2010

    Dats a very bad name for Antigua…this is gonna have a huge effect on the tourist industry in in Antigua..

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