Latest Press Release For Sarm Heslop – Missing Person

Sarm Heslop Missing Person USVI

Ryan Bane speaks out for the first time in over 4 years in response to BBC documentary about missing woman

The family and friends of missing Brit Sarm Heslop renew their pleas for Ryan Bane to speak to the authorities, following his release of an open letter to journalists.

The release of a BBC documentary investigating the disappearance of Sarm Heslop, who vanished from her boyfriend’s catamaran in the US Virgin Islands in March 2021, has seen Sarm’s boyfriend at the time speak out for the first time in the 4 and a half years since she went missing. Mr Bane, took to his Facebook page on 19 September 2025 to post an open letter to journalists stating his various grievances with the media coverage surrounding Sarm’s disappearance, along with a Dropbox folder containing legal documentation pertaining to his divorce from ex-wife Cori Stevenson.

Speaking in response to Mr Bane’s letter, Sarm’s parents, Brenda Street and Peter Heslop said, “We are aware that Ryan Bane has reached out to the press via his social media channels. This is the first time Mr Bane has spoken about Sarm’s disappearance in 4 and a half years and we implore him, as we always have done, to speak to the Police and to share any information he may have relating to our daughter’s disappearance.”

At the time of her disappearance, Sarm was living and working on her boyfriend, Ryan Bane’s catamaran which was moored in Frank’s Bay on the island of St John. The couple had dined in the bar 420 to Center and returned to the catamaran, Siren Song, via a short dinghy ride from Cruz Bay. In the recent BBC documentary, previously unreleased CCTV footage showing the couple walking back to and boarding their dinghy is seen publicly for the first time. “We have asked over and over again for the USVIPD to release the CCTV footage of Sarm’s last known movements and have never been able to understand why it wasn’t released as part of the initial search for her” say Sarm’s friends, who have led the campaign to find and seek justice for Ms Heslop.

Mr Bane was the last person to see Sarm before she vanished, leaving all her possessions including her phone, wallet and passport on board. Ryan Bane called the police at 2.30am the night that Sarm went missing but waited until 11.46am that day to call the Coast Guards. Mr Bane has never been formally interviewed by police and no forensic search of the boat, Siren Song, was ever carried out. “We hope that the VIPD will renew their attempts to speak to Ryan Bane, now that he seems willing to discuss Sarm’s disappearance publicly” say Sarm’s parents. “We agree with Mr Bane’s comments that there are holes in the investigation and believe that the VIPD should now be doing everything they can to re-evaluate the timeline and all the evidence. We hope that Mr Bane will share any information he may have with the proper authorities.”

The BBC documentary about Ms Heslop, “Missing in Paradise: Searching for Sarm” is currently available to watch on BBC iPlayer and will be released in the US and Canada in October on BBC Select.

Sarm is described as 5 feet 8 Caucasian female of slim build. She has a bright coloured tattoo on her left shoulder featuring a seahorse, bird, butterfly and a pink flower.

A reward for anyone with information that leads to a significant breakthrough in the case is offered and anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Sarm is urged to call Crime Stoppers USVI at (800) 222-TIPS

Interview requests should be directed to [email protected]

A GoFundMe page has been set up to support Sarm’s family: https://gofund.me/f25712dd

www.findsarm.com

Further materials approved for use by the press: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1GPu_weOA2TtOdDCLt_KCaJLU7Mniblbh?usp=sharing

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