Prince George's County

โ€˜Just here in the dark': Family demands answers after Bowie man dies in Bahamas

Bahamian police don't suspect foul play, but Dinari McAlmont's family still has questions

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A recording studio in Brentwood, Maryland, is a little quieter than it used to be.

Lowcation Studios has lost one of its talented audio engineers, Dinari McAlmont, who was found dead shortly after arriving in the Bahamas for vacation.

โ€œI just broke down,โ€ said Oliver Franklin, the owner of Lowcation Studios. โ€œHe was, he was really young, and it's just, it's just devastating."

Franklin said McAlmont worked there for the last year producing music.

"In that year, you know, he was somebody that, you know, I talked to every day,โ€ Franklin said. โ€œYou know, he was always obviously in the studio, and it was just crushing."

McAlmont and his parents live in Bowie, Maryland. They flew to the Bahamas for vacation Friday.

Less than a day into the trip, his aunt, Marcelle Bacchus, told News4 the 23-year-old was found dead on the beach near his resort, Atlantis Bahamas.

News4 spoke with her by phone.

"We don't have answers,โ€ Bacchus said. โ€œWe don't really know, but it's very frustrating. Seems as though everything is being pushed under the rug."

Bahamian police say an autopsy showed McAlmont drowned, and they do not suspect foul play.

But his family has questions.

The police told them there was some type of issue at a restaurant before McAlmont's body was found.

"They said he spat on someone and ran through a door," Bacchus said.

She says his mother told her when she went to see his body, authorities would only show her a photo. She said it looked like McAlmont had been beaten.

They also question why no surveillance video has been released.

"We're just here in the dark,โ€ Bacchus said. โ€œWe really need some help, some eyewitness, somebody to come forward and help us to just solve this puzzle."

News4 reached out to the resort to help them get some answers. They sent a statement saying, โ€œWe are deeply saddened by the passing of one of our guests. Our condolences are with the guest's family and loved ones during this difficult time. The police authorities are carrying out an investigation of this tragic incident. We await the policeโ€™s findings and will not comment on speculation.โ€

Bacchus told News4 the family is working to get an international attorney that can help them going forward.

News4 spoke with McAlmont's father by phone Wednesday. He is still in the Bahamas. He declined to be interviewed.

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