By Garwin Davis,
Staff Reporter
WESTERN BUREAU:
AMERICAN TRAVEL writer Claudia Kirschhoch's ill-fated visit to Jamaica last May was supposed to have been for only eight days, but twelve months later her mysterious disappearance is baffling even to local law en
forcement officers.
And to think that but for a last-minute change in itinerary, it might not have happened, at least certainly not in Jamaica. Ms. Kirschhoch was originally slated to go to Cuba via Montego Bay on a press trip sponsored by the Sandals Resort chain of hotels. But with the hotel sensing that there would be hurdles getting the American journalists into Cuba, the trip was cancelled and everyone re-routed to another of the resort chain's property, Beaches Negril.
On her third day at the resort, May 27, 29-year old Claudia Kirschhoch, a New York City editor for Frommer's Travel Guides, disappeared virtually into thin air and without a trace. She has since been the subject of an intensive search, which had, included agents from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Also, a search and rescue dog handler from Oregon, U.S.A., was brought in to assist with the search. But even with all the enhanced resources, major forensic testing and also the use of a FBI polygraph machine; law enforcement officials are no where closer to solving the case than a year ago when Ms. Kirschhoch disappeared.
"In my over 23 years in law enforcement, I have never seen anything like this," explained Denver Frater, the officer in charge of crime for the parish of Westmoreland. "I am really baffled; I mean there is nothing to suggest that she is dead."
Mr. Frater said that his officers are still actively on the case and continue to pursue leads as quickly as they are passed on to the police. "Every now and then there will be report of a sighting to which we always react swiftly," he noted. "It has been a while, though, that we have gotten anything real interesting."
The crime chief also confirmed that Anthony Grant, the former Beaches Negril bartender was not a suspect in the case, saying that there has never been enough evidence to treat him as such. "Yes, he interacted with her but there was nothing to upgrade his status from being a witness to a suspect," Mr. Frater said. "There is presently no investigation of Mr. Grant taking place."
This suggestion is certain to irk relatives and friends of Ms. Kirschhoch, particularly her parents, who have always maintained that Grant knew more than he was letting on and could be the key to the unravelling of the mystery which surrounds their daughter's disappearance.
And, in a telephone interview with The Gleaner only several days ago, Fred Kirschhoch said that contrary to reports that the FBI had vindicated Grant, he was made to believe otherwise. "The FBI asked Anthony Grant if he knew about Claudia's disappearance and the polygraph result, according to what they told me, indicated that he was lying when he said he didn't. They also asked him if he was involved in her disappearance and again he flunked. We know he is capable of lying which is why he has to be a main suspect."
Mr. Kirschhoch said that in conversations with people versed in the legal profession in the United States it was felt that there is enough evidence as there is to warrant an indictment. He also added that there was another worker employed to the Beaches Negril grilled further. "It is my understanding that this person is no longer working at the hotel and has since migrated to England," he noted.
Grant's attorney, Michael Erskine is adamant that is client is only a victim of circumstances and had been unfairly maligned. "The only crime that he is guilty of is that he went out with the young lady," he said. "He has done nothing wrong and if they had anything on him it would have come out already. In fairness, I think they owe my client an apology."
Leo Lambert, Group Public Relations officer for the Sandals hotels said the case remains a mystery for him too and that his company has always been available to assist the Kirschhoch family in whatever way possible. Tourism liaison officer, Superintendent Ionie Ramsey-Nelson said that the case also continues to puzzle her and that she was strongly of the belief that Ms. Kirschhoch was still alive.
"I would have to see the body for me to change that view," she noted. "The amount of people we have had on the ground in Negril if foul play was involved I believe we would have known."
Mrs. Ramsey-Nelson said that it was unfair for anyone to suggest that the authorities hadn't utilized all the resources at their disposal to finding the missing travel writer, noting that the government had bend over backwards to facilitate the case.
"I have never seen so much resources put forward for a missing person case in this country," she said. "I have never worked so hard on anything in my life. We brought dogs in to assist even though the law had stated otherwise. We even had a meeting with the Kirschhochs to ask them to advise us on what more they feel we could do. I tell you this one is so mysterious that it hurts. I believe in my heart of heart that one day everything will come to light and this country will be vindicated. Can you believe there is a long standing J$2million reward and nobody if they had the information would not have come forward. There is something that doesn't add up here and I can't say I know what it is."
