Philipsburg: ---The prosecutor's office has confiscated the body of Barth Pasman pending an autopsy confirmed Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos. Pasman was found dead at his home early Saturday morning which prompted an investigation even though the doctor who pronounced him dead said he died of natural causes.
The two sudden deaths has sent a shock wave thoughout the community of St. Maarten since both citizens are well known and they both died at their separate homes on Saturday April 10. Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson said police were directed to the home of USONA director Bart Pasman whose lifeless body was found in his bed around 8 am on Saturday April 10.
Henson said Police was called by the wife of the late Pasman who told them that she received a telephone call informing her that her husband who was at home at the time was not showing any signs of life.
The woman also requested police to accompany her to the home to further investigate the matter. On the scene, the patrol encountered the lifeless body of Mr. Pasman on a bed in the house. A medical doctor pronounced Pasman dead and stated he died of natural causes.
However, SMN News has learnt that Pasman was encountering difficulties in his private life and was depressive. It is not clear at this time if Pasman and his spouse were living together when he passed away. SMN News will bring you a full update on this case in a subsequent article.
Also on Saturday, the body of Simone Santos Montilla an employee of the tax department was found in her home dead. According to information reaching SMN News, the mother of four lifeless body was found on a bed in her Belvedere home. Montilla was well known to the St. Maarten community, as she was the first person nominated as the PJD2 Caribbean Queen.
Reliable information reaching SMN News on Saturday states that Montilla's body bore marks of violence when it was discovered on Saturday evening. Residents and neighbors of the now dead woman states that Montilla and her husband was involved in a domestic dispute on Friday night and she was allegedly beaten by her estranged husband. According to one neighbor their was a party close to Montilla's home on Friday evening and several persons allegedly witnessed the abuse.
Some neighbors who are enraged at Montilla's passing said she was in a depressive state and that she attempted to take her own life on more than one occasion. Several neighbors and close friends of the deceased said she drank some pills before retiring to bed.
In an invited comment Chief Prosecutor of the Windward Islands Hans Mos said the body of Simone Santos Montilla has been confiscated and is awaiting an autopsy. Mos is also urging the neighbors, friends, and family of the deceased woman to contact the police if they have information that would aid the investigation.
SMN News expresses its sincerest condolences to both families in their time of bereavement.