A deepening controversy over uninvestigated reports of suspected human remains off Antigua’s Parham coast has placed local law enforcement under scrutiny, following damning accusations of gross professional negligence from a former top police official.
Rawlston Pompey, who once served as Antigua and Barbuda’s Commissioner of Police, has publicly claimed that serving officers failed to take meaningful action after receiving a direct first-hand report of possible human remains dumped in the coastal waters near Great Bird Island. According to Pompey’s allegations, the officer who took the report reacted with dismissiveness, showing no urgency to verify whether the suspected remains were actually human.
Pompey emphasized that any law enforcement officer who receives credible information of this nature and abandons their responsibility to launch a formal investigation commits a punishable offense of gross neglect of duty. “Their core duty in this scenario was to mobilize specialized diving resources to confirm whether the report was accurate,” Pompey stated, calling on current officials to be transparent and straightforward about the department’s handling of the case.
The current controversy gained new traction after a follower of the popular local social media platform True Crimes Antigua shared a harrowing decades-old account of their own experience with police inaction. The whistleblower recalled discovering a man’s body near the Millers By the Sea coastal area back in 1992. They told the platform they reported the find immediately to authorities, but repeated follow-up requests for updates on the investigation went completely unanswered. The anonymous contributor added that the lack of closure has caused persistent emotional harm, with the absence of information only worsening their long-standing trauma.
This 31-year-old account resurfaced in the context of new, still unverified claims that multiple bodies have been dumped at sea roughly three nautical miles east of Parham Dock, within the same general area near Great Bird Island.
In an official statement released Sunday, police confirmed that uniformed officers partnered with the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force Coast Guard to carry out an initial sweep of the identified area on Saturday, July 18. However, the joint operation was unable to pin down the exact location of the alleged remains dump site. Law enforcement officials noted that a full, comprehensive underwater search cannot proceed without accurate geographic coordinates or other verifiable location details from tipsters.
To date, the senior Police Administration has not issued any public response directly addressing Pompey’s specific allegations of officer neglect. Authorities have issued a public appeal for anyone with additional information related to the alleged human remains dumpsite – whether regarding the recent claims or the 1992 discovery – to come forward. Tips can be submitted to the Criminal Investigations Department directly at 462-3913 or 462-3914, to emergency services via 911, or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 800-TIPS.