FBI appeal for info on Lee disappearance

| 02/11/2016 | 25 Comments
Cayman News Service

Norman Lee wearing swim trucks he disappeared in

(CNS): More than 18 months after comic book artist Norman Lee (47) went missing while snorkelling off the coast of the Wyndham Reef Resort in East End, the Federal Bureau of Investigations in Miami has issued an appeal for information about his disappearance. Offering a $10,000 reward, the FBI appeal implies that the US authorities suspect foul play in his disappearance. The circular posted on the FBI website and sent to the local media via the RCIPS asks for any “information leading to the recovery of Norman Lee and/or the identification which leads to the conviction of those involved in his disappearance”.

Lee, from Massachusetts, was vacationing in Cayman with his wife and friends in March last year. He went snorkelling with his wife on the morning of Thursday, 5 March 2015, when the couple became separated some 250 yards offshore.

When there was no sign of her husband after she returned to shore, Lee’s wife raised the alarm and a full-scale search and rescue operation involving the police, government officials and volunteers was launched. However, there was no sign of Lee.

After two full days of searching, the RCIPS Eastern District Commander at the time, Brad Ebanks, said Lee was presumed dead and the operation moved into recovery mode. Lee’s body was never found.

“The currents in that area are strong and it is unlikely that we will make any recovery at this stage. We put all assets available to us, both law enforcement and privately owned,” Ebanks stated at the time.

There was never any indication from the local authorities of foul play in Lee’s disappearance and he was presumed lost at sea.

Describing Lee as an athlete who had previously worked as a physical trainer, the FBI said he had no known medical conditions and was in good health at the time of his disappearance.

CNS has contacted the FBI Miami office for more details regarding their investigation and is awaiting a response.

FBI Flyer: Norman Lee information

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Category: Local News

Comments (25)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    It’s very sad and if the FBI is issuing a reward something else must be out there. Easy folks, this man has a family and friends. No need to be rude – simply an article stating if you know of anything to contact the FBI.

  2. Aab says:

    Please be careful what you say…family is reading this thread. Please put yourselves in their shoes.
    Thank you.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Thanks.8.57 & 3.38 I saw the teacher walking back to west bay at ,9.02 pm I have a witness with me told the girlfriend on Monday after she and her white foreign friends did not go to the police on the Saturday at the public beach I told the police inspector of what I saw plus what time I told the girlfriend a camera was quickly put on the pole and then press release no visual sitting.

    Take that.

  4. Anonymous says:

    Hes no different from anyone else that lost their life at sea, hundreds have lost their lives over a long period of time here in the cayman islands. Diving and snorkelling is a RISK here and anywhere else in the world. The currents are strong and the Cayman trench is 4 miles deep. You never know what happened, he may still be alive.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Did anyone see them together in the water?

  6. Anonymous says:

    Did anyone besides his wife see him that morning? Did anyone even see him in the water that day?

  7. Anonymous says:

    People will continue to go missing in that area because there should be a warning sign and markers on the channel. Rip tides happen there. How would anyone from shore not see another person in the sea with him. The resort is on higher ground its easy from shore to see all the barrier reef. It’s only hard to see once they go outside the reef. Once that happens the big sharks will take him away.

    • Anonymous says:

      This has been brought up many times with ZERO action to prevent this.

      • Anonymous says:

        No one is forced to go into the ocean, just as no one is forced to take their boat out in 3 meter seas , in adverse survival conditions.

  8. Anonymous says:

    They still have not found the teacher lost off in the Sea near Calico Jacks nor the poor family on the boat. The sea is not forgiving.

    • Anonymous says:

      You mean the drug dealers that went missing on their boat? Doubt it was the sea that claimed them.

      • CaptainLetsMakeItHappen says:

        Have you forgotten the children involved? OR are you saying they were drug dealers too? You ate paint chips as a child didnt ya, SoupSandwich?

    • Anonymous says:

      That poor teacher was not lost in the sea no matter what anyone says.

  9. Anonymous says:

    Who was last to see him alive.

  10. Anonymous says:

    Sorry FBI, young adults have also gone missing due to misadventure. The sea doesn’t care how physically fit you are. Very unlikely foul play was involved.

    • Jotnar says:

      Because the FBI offers $10K reward every time someone goes missing, right. They must know something that’s not public that makes them suspect a crime has been committed, and a federal crime at that.

  11. Anonymous says:

    Being in good health with no known medical conditions is irrelevant. How good a swimmer was he? Especially in those currents.

  12. Unsought Justice says:

    If the FBI suspect foul play, I presume from the initial description that the suspect(s) perhaps might be an known accomplice rather than a residential stranger. No matter the physical fitness level of a person the ocean is unforgiving, currents are strong enough to pull away the best of swimmers and they’re apex predators who will mistake humans as prey.

  13. Anonymous says:

    We solve dis. Don’t need no FBI

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