Renewed push for safety for man charged with manslaughter in hotel worker's death in Anguilla
DARIEN, Connecticut (WABC) -- There's a renewed push for the safety of a Connecticut man who will face charges for manslaughter in the Caribbean.
Scott Hapgood is accused of manslaughter for allegedly killing a hotel worker while protecting his family while on vacation in Anguilla in April.
He held a press conference Monday alongside Sen. Richard Blumenthal. Hapgood's wife, Kallie Hapgood, and other state and local officials were also in attendance.
Sen. Blumenthal showed his support for the Hapgoods and pressed Anguilla for safe passage for Scott at his upcoming hearing in November.
Blumenthal called for fairness, transparency and a swift conclusion to proceedings, saying he will spare "no effort-- none-- to ensure that Scott Hapgood is given those basic rights."
He read an emotional statement thanking Blumenthal and the other officials supporting him, as well as the Darien community.
"And I would like to personally thank this wonderful community, including your kids, friends, teachers and schools -- the support gives my family strength to deal with this ordeal," Hapgood said. "We are still in shock that a simple vacation that we looked forward to for so long turned into a nightmare."
He says he has not been allowed to return to work, has been disqualified from coaching his children's sports team which gave him "purpose," and has been traveling back and forth from Anguilla for hearings.
A large group of friends and family gathered close by with signs supporting Scott.
Hapgood will return to Anguilla on November 11 for a hearing where the magistrate will make a decision on whether to commit the proceedings to a jury trial.
Hapgood was vacationing with his wife and children when he says 27-year-old Kenny Mitchel showed up claiming he needed to fix a broken sink.
In a written account Hapgood provided to the New York Times, he claims soon after he let Mitchel inside, the worker "pulled a knife on me, demanding my money and my wallet."
A struggle ensued, with Hapgood ultimately killing Mitchel. Investigators have since found through a toxicology report that Mitchell had alcohol, cocaine and marijuana in his system at the time of the attack.
"He went down on vacation and this was not anything that was intended to happen. It's a tragedy that it happened but let justice be served and he's doing the right thing to clear his name," family friend Sherry Ramsay said.
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