A New York man who vanished without explanation during a trip to the Caribbean may have been found dead near his vacation rental, just days after disappearing in the middle of the night.
New York man disappears on vacation
Brian Tarrence, 51, of Midtown Manhattan, had traveled to the island of Providenciales in Turks and Caicos with his wife on June 22 for a romantic week long vacation.
The couple was staying at an Airbnb in the Grace Bay area, with plans to return home to New York on June 29.
What began as a peaceful beach escape turned into a frantic search operation after Tarrence inexplicably left the rental property in the early hours of June 26 and never returned.
Authorities with the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force, joined by a private investigator hired by Tarrence’s family, were scouring the island when a grim discovery was made.
On Saturday morning around 9:06 a.m., searchers located “the body of a deceased male in a decomposed state” in the Grace Bay area.
Law enforcement officials have not officially confirmed the identity of the body.
“We the police extend condolences to the family and friends of the deceased and ask that the public not speculate and await positive identification of the deceased,” Acting Commissioner Rodney Adams stated.
New York man last seen on CCTV
Tarrence’s final known movements were captured on surveillance cameras.
According to police, he was seen on video around 3:30 a.m. walking alone, wearing a T-shirt, shorts, and sneakers.
The footage showed him heading toward the bustling downtown area from the Airbnb.
Private investigator Carl DeFazio, a former NYPD officer, was hired to assist in the search.
“Everything prior to the point where he walked out of that house, he seems fine,” DeFazio said.
“We have him on camera, and he walks into town, and then he basically disappears, and we haven’t heard from him since.”
DeFazio admitted that the circumstances were “a little bizarre,” especially the late hour that Tarrence chose to leave.
He had reportedly spent the previous day on a boat with his wife, followed by dinner that evening. Nothing suggested any immediate cause for concern.
Efforts to locate Tarrence had included drone searches and a review of security footage across the area.
Flyers with his photo were distributed widely across Turks and Caicos, and social media was used to spread awareness of his disappearance.
“We’re trying everything we can,” DeFazio said. “We’ve blanketed the area with photos, put it on social media and all kinds of things.”
His wife remained on the island during the search, refusing to return home while the mystery surrounding her husband’s fate remained unresolved.
Private investigator still optimistic
DeFazio, still cautiously hopeful, said: “What I tell the family in cases like this: Stay positive until you have a reason not to be.”
The discovery of the body has cast doubts over the searchers ability to find the New York man alive.
According to DeFazio, the remains were located about a 20-minute walk from where Tarrence was last seen.
“I would say about a block off of Leeward Highway in a little residential commercial area,” he said.
The body was found in a ditch, “in the bush,” according to DeFazio.
Due to the advanced decomposition of the body, identifying it has proven difficult.
“The body was not found for 10 days in 90-plus [degree] heat,” DeFazio noted. “You can’t just look at, say, a watch, sneakers and a pair of shorts. Anybody could be wearing that. What if we say, ‘Yeah, that’s his watch, that’s his shorts,’ and then find out somebody else had them.”
“And if that were the truth, then this investigation takes a turn tremendously right there,” he continued. “But we’re not there yet. But hopefully we’ll get there today or soon.”
According to the private investigator, Tarrence had been holding his phone and had his wallet on him the last time he was seen in the security footage.
The wallet has not been recovered, but no activity has been reported on Tarrence’s bank cards since he went missing. His phone has also shown no signs of use, and no calls have been made.
The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police have listed Tarrence as a missing person as the investigation continues into what led to his disappearance and subsequent death.
