A New York man has gone missing in Turks and Caicos, according to authorities from the Caribbean Island.
Brian Tarrence, 51, of New York City, was last seen at the Paradise Inn on June 25, according to a missing persons flyer issued by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force last week.
A private investigator hired by Tarrence’s family, which NBC confirmed with his wife, told NBC News that the security footage he viewed showed Tarrence leaving his condo at the Paradise Inn around 4:00 a.m. June 25 and heading toward town in Grace Bay.
Tarrence’s wife of roughly a year was asleep when he left the condo, according to Carl DeFazio, the private investigator. She told DeFazio that it was unusual for him to be up at that hour.
“She went to bed rather early, 7 o’clock,” he said. “She got up two times, checked on him. He was watching TV or whatever. And then when she got up at 7:00 am, he was gone.”
The day prior to Tarrence’s disappearance, DeFazio said, the pair went on a boat ride.
Tarrence’s wife told the private investigator that her husband had been acting “a little bit different than he normally is,” DeFazio told NBC News, but said it could have been due to dehydration.
Local authorities did not respond to NBC News’ request for comment. A State Department spokesperson said the agency is “aware of a U.S. citizen missing in Turks and Caicos.”
“When a U.S. citizen is missing, we work closely with local authorities as they carry out their search efforts, and we make every effort to keep lines of communication open with families as appropriate,” the spokesperson said. “The Department of State has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens abroad. We stand ready to provide consular assistance to U.S. citizens in need and their families.”
The private investigator added that Tarrence’s wife said his speech was unusual the night before he disappeared. He noted that Tarrence left the condo with his phone and that he has not made any credit card transactions since his disappearance.
DeFazio added that the local police department was trying to gain access to Tarrence’s phone records, while his sister-in-law and mother looked for him on the island.
DeFazio said Tarrence’s wife went back to the United States but was expected to return to the island soon.
