U.S. Couple Found Dead in Bahamas ID’d as Travel Agents Who Adored Resort
‘CERTIFIED SANDALS SPECIALIST’
A husband-and-wife travel agent duo were identified by Bahamas officials on Monday as two of the three American tourists discovered dead at the island resort—a spot they had recommended to clients for years. Michael Phillips, 68, and his wife, Robbie, 65, were found Friday in a villa at the Sandals Emerald Bay resort in Great Exuma. A third victim of an apparent mysterious illness, as officials have characterized it, was officially identified Monday as Vincent Paul Chiarella, 64, though his identity had been previously confirmed by his family. Just a day before their bodies were found by resort employees, the New York Post reported, Robbie Phillips had taken to Facebook to sing the praises of the resort, writing, “If you want the most beautiful long private beach with clear blue water and you like to hear the waves lapping, see sand dunes and hear the seagulls talking—this is it!” She and her husband worked for an agency called Royal Travel in Maryville, Tennessee, booking “all-inclusive Caribbean vacations” for clients that frequently involved stays at Sandals resorts. In an apparent offshoot blog, Robbie referred to herself as a Sandals-trained agent and “Certified Sandals Specialist,” writing that the business was “a Best of the Best Preferred Sandals and Beaches agency.”