Chantel Crump, Yenifer Bridge, and Achazia James
By Chaneil Imhoff
Antigua and Barbuda is still mourning three young lives lost in devastating circumstances: Chantel Crump, Achazia James, and Yennefer Bridge. These names should be spoken together, not only in grief but in the pursuit of truth.
Chantel, just nine years old, was killed in March this year. A suspect confessed, was charged, and is now awaiting trial. Achazia, fifteen, was found on Runaway Beach in August 2024. Yennefer, sixteen, was found on Fig Tree Drive in June 2024. Both of their cases remain unsolved.
In the months since, public reaction has been uneven. Chantel’s case has received wide attention, but in recent weeks some people have begun calling it a “cold case” despite the fact that a suspect is in custody. At the same time, criticism has been directed at how her family has responded to their grief. The families of Achazia and Yennefer have faced a different kind of silence, with their daughters’ names rarely spoken in public spaces and their cases often overlooked entirely.
There is a pattern here. Some victims are treated as more deserving of outrage, attention, and compassion than others. This often depends on whether their lives fit the unspoken idea of a “perfect victim” — someone very young, perceived as completely innocent, and with no personal history that could invite judgement. When those conditions are not met, public empathy can fade.
This is not just a question of perception. It affects how often their names are shared, how much pressure is put on authorities, and how present their stories are in the public consciousness. It can mean the difference between a community rallying behind a family or leaving them to grieve in near silence.
These three girls were daughters, friends, and members of our community. Their lives mattered, and each deserves the same measure of compassion and concern. Recognizing the differences in how we speak about them is not about taking away from one case to give to another. It is about ensuring that no life is valued less because of assumptions, rumours, or bias.
We cannot allow certain victims to be forgotten because they do not fit a narrow picture of innocence. Chantel, Achazia, and Yennefer all deserve to be remembered, and their families all deserve our support. The first step is to speak about them, to keep their names alive in our conversations, and to hold space for each of their stories.
The names Chantel, Achazia, and Yennefer represent lives that were cut short, and families that have been shattered. Each of their stories is a tragedy.
We cant afford to lose more of our youth. Lets look out for our children
Three young lives just cut away from us like it’s nothing. Then the silence begin to surface. Will we ever get justice? The citizens seems to be more hyped than the authorities. Maybe they should alllow us to seek justice ourselves. Many families left mourning for far too long
I’m praying for the families of these young girls. That they can finally get some closure on the death of their loved one.
Somebody knows something but this culture of not snitching is holding them back from disclosure. Prayerfully they will overcome their fear and do the right thing and by so doing bring closure to the grieving families especially the mothers. JUSTICE FOR CHANTEL and all the murdered and missing.
What a country we live in where people are killed. Vanishes. Where criminals are walking the streets and innocent people are behind bars