The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

AN Atlantis resort hotel manager yesterday said his familiarity with crime dramas led him to find a South African tourist hanging in her room last year. During the inquest, Bennett Allen, the hotel manager of Atlantis’ Royal Towers, pointed to popular show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as motivation for the “heightened” suspicions that led him to physically investigate Carla Van Eeden’s room last May. His testimony was given during an inquest to unearth the circumstances of Ms Van Eeden’s death in room 3583 at the Royal Towers.

According to Mr Allen, Ms Van Eeden’s friend Lauren Burke continuously called the hotel trying to locate her loved one.

However, he noted it was a commonplace occurence that happens every 15 to 20 minutes daily at the resort. Thus, he said there was “no real justification” for him to have personally entered her room, and did not even warrant him advancing a “wellness check” for security officers to confirm, by phone or otherwise, whether she was actually physically in her room.

He theorised Ms Van Eeden could have very well been out clubbing or simply enjoying herself and thus too preoccupied to check in with her family and/or friends.

However, Mr Allen said his “personal curiosity” was aroused when he cross referenced her friend’s continuous calls with the fact that Ms Van Eeden’s guest activity portfolio had shown no significant activity since the day she checked in some two days prior.

Ms Van Eeden’s body was found hanging by a cord at the back of her bathroom door in her room.

When proceedings commenced yesterday, a worker at Royal Towers’ front desk, Tanackia Tinker, confirmed she checked Ms Van Eeden in on May 14th.

Rhonda Ranger, who works in the housekeeping department, subsequently testified that on May 15, she performed her daily housekeeping duties in Ms Van Eeden’s room. The last place she cleaned was the bathroom, she said.

Sometime after 11am, and shortly before noon the following day, after identifying herself as a housekeeper, Ms Ranger said she entered the room and found it in “almost exactly” the same condition.

She said she noticed that the bathroom door was slightly ajar but when she tried to push the door open, it wouldn’t move. Ms Ranger said she said “housekeeping” a few more times, but did not get a reply. As a result, she said she left.

“I figured somebody was in there and just didn’t want to be disturbed,” she said.

Dihann Williams, a Coordinator at Atlantis’ Resort Call Center (RCC), said while working the 3pm to midnight shift on May 16, she got a call from Lauren Burke who told her she was worried and trying to get in contact with Ms Van Eeden. Ms Williams said she subsequently called Ms Van Eeden’s room, but the phone just rang.

As a result, Ms Williams arranged for Ms Burke to call Ms Van Eeden’s room herself and leave a personal message for the 25-year-old. Ms Williams said she also told Ms Burke to give her a call back if she did not reach Ms Van Eeden.

A short while later, Ms Williams said a call came back into the hotel from Ms Burke, who had asked to speak to her personally. Ms Burke told her she was unable to get through to Ms Van Eeden. Ms Williams also said Ms Burke told her that she was worried about her friend because she would usually be online.

Ms Williams said she then proposed to leave a written message in the hotel’s system outlining Ms Burke’s concerns. She said she did so after she hung up from Ms Burke.

Ms Williams said while she was speaking with Ms Burke, she was able to pull up Ms Van Eeden’s guest pay portfolio, and saw how Ms Van Eeden ordered food from the Sip Sip restaurant, and also saw a transaction involving the Dolphin Encounters attraction.

Portia McKenzie, another RCC coordinator, also testified how around between 9:30pm on May 16 and midnight the next day, she received multiple calls from Ms Burke about her concerns about Ms Van Eeden’s whereabouts.

Ms McKenzie said she ultimately transferred the matter to an officer in Atlantis’ Security Control Room, Susan Johnson. Prior to that however, she said she reached out to Mr Allen to see if he could make contact with Ms Van Eeden.

When he took the witness stand, Mr Allen said sometime on May 16, he received a call from the RCC about Ms Burke trying to get in contact with Ms Van Eeden. Mr Allen said he spoke with Ms Burke, who told him of her difficulties in reaching her friend.

Mr Allen said his response at the time was that Ms Van Eeden was “probably having a good time” and “enjoying themselves on property”. However, he said Ms Burke insisted that Ms Van Eeden would normally call her or return her calls.

As a result, Mr Allen said he promised Ms Burke that he would try to reach out to Ms Van Eeden as best as he could.

Mr Allen said he looked into the hotel’s system, where he noticed there were notes placed for Ms Van Eeden in reference to Ms Burke trying to reach her. He said he also took a quick look at Ms Van Eeden’s portfolio and saw that all of her transactions occurred on the day she checked in and nothing after.

Thus, he said he contacted to security and asked them to conduct a wellness check on Ms Van Eeden, which they did. However, he said they got no response from the room.

Then, to satisfy his own curiosity, Mr Allen said he requested security to accompany him to Ms Van Eeden’s room to at least verify if she was in the room. He said he eventually met up with a security supervisor, Lisa Ferguson, and the two proceeded to the room.

When they got there, he said he told Ms Ferguson that because it was a female guest, she would have to go in first. Ms Ferguson subsequently knocked on the door and then gained entry to the room. Mr Allen said he was roughly “two steps” behind her.

Mr Allen said Ms Ferguson examined the room and told him that it was empty. In turn, Mr Allen said he asked her if she checked the bathroom.

Mr Allen said Ms Ferguson did so by cracking the door open and peeking in, and with a somber look on his face yesterday, said Ms Ferguson told him “Bennett she is in there”.

Mr Allen said when he approached the door, and before he even pushed it open, could see Ms Van Eeden’s body due to the mirror’s reflection. He said when he poked his head in, he noticed “major discoloration” on the lower parts of the young woman’s body. It was “basically all blue”, he said.

Mr Allen said he also attempted to move her hand, but he felt “some resistance”. Nonetheless, Mr Allen, who said he is a first responder, checked the young woman’s vitals to see if she was alive or not. He said he checked for her pulse on her right hand, but said he felt no pulse.

As a result, he said he advised Ms Ferguson to commence the hotel’s emergency procedure.

In response to questions in cross examination, Mr Allen said he did not notice anything untoward about the main door to the hotel room. He also said both the balcony and the doors that connected Ms Van Eeden’s room to the next room, room 3585, were also secured.

The matter continues.