A Cayman Islands money laundering regulator who was found dead in a burning vehicle in April was not murdered, investigators have concluded.
Police revealed Thursday that they believe there was “no third party involvement” in the death of Judiann Myles.
The 47-year-old, who was head of the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority’s anti-money laundering division, was found dead in the driver’s seat of a burning SUV in a remote part of Lookout Gardens, Bodden Town on April 3. Detectives have previously indicated that the fire was started deliberately.
Now, after a three-month investigation involving forensic pathologists and fire investigators, the file has been referred to the coroner.
Commissioner Kurt Walton would not be drawn on how police believe Myles died, saying that would be determined after a public inquest.
Similarly, in the missing persons case of Compass Media journalist Andrel Harris, Walton said police had concluded there was no “third party involvement”. Harris was last seen on CCTV walking towards Pedro Castle. Clothes and items belonging to him were found in the water off that coastline.
The inquiry remains an open missing persons investigation.
Walton was speaking at a press conference at RCIPS HQ Thursday to update the public on major cases.
Complex investigation
He said the Myles case had been a complex investigation involving forensic pathologists, forensic anthropologists, toxicologists and forensic fire investigators as well as analysis of more than 100 hours of private and CCTV camera footage.
“Based on the current information we have in hand, we are now at a point where we are not looking at third party involvement, and the file will be submitted to the coroner,” he said.
Walton declined to say what police believe happened.
“It’s not within my remit. It’s not my role to adjudicate that,” he said.
“All the evidence has to be explored, has to be challenged before a coroner’s inquest, where you will have a jury that will hear those facts and make a decision on what the cause of death is.”
Police keep ‘open mind’ on Harris inquiry
Asked about the investigation into the disappearance of Andrel Harris, he said the case remains open and police are keeping an “open mind”.
“Andrel for us is still classed as a missing person, so I don’t want to make any presumption at this point,” Walton said.
“What we are saying at this moment… based on the current facts and evidence on hand, we do not believe that there’s any third party involvement.”
He said the case involved a “full police investigation”, including interviews of witnesses and reviews of documentary and video evidence. Extensive searches of the cliff tops around Pedro Castle and the surrounding waters were carried out in the days after Harris’s disappearance on 4 June.
The coast guard and police called off the search for 34-year-old Harris on 12 June.