Banker Accused of Killing Hotel Worker Says He Understands Local Residents' 'Anger'

The Connecticut banker accused of killing a hotel worker returned to Anguilla, insisting upon his innocence. 

Scott Hapgood was on vacation with his wife and three children last April when he said Kenny Mitchel, 27, came to the door of his family's luxury Malliouhana resort. According to Hapgood, Mitchel brandished a knife and attacked him.

Hapgood said he defended himself, killing Mitchel in the process. He has been charged with manslaughter but was granted bail and allowed to return home, provided he comes back to the British territory for necessary court appearances. 

But there is anger in the tight-knit community on the island, with police saying they can't guarantee Hapgood's safety. In the wake of numerous anonymous threats he says he has received, Hapgood has been keeping his time on the island to a minimum, saying he fears for his safety. 

On Monday, he flew to Anguilla from the U.S. for a court appearance and then immediately returned home, a 3,400-mile round trip. He came back to the island just days later for Thursday's hearing.  

Hapgood says he sympathizes with the people of Anguilla, claiming they've been given a false narrative about what really happened in that hotel room. 

"To the people of Anguilla, I understand your anger," he said Thursday. "I've read the same false facts and untrue stories about what happened in that room on that fateful day in April. If I lived here and believed those stories, I'd be angry too."

But Mitchel's brother, Marshall, had a message for Hapgood. 

"I wish him good luck with his lies," he said outside court. 

Hapgood again flew home after Thursday's court appearance.

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