Death in Belize: How a Wealthy Socialite Killed a Cop

Socialite Jasmine Hartin killed a police officer but was it an accident or murder?

Belize is a haven for tourists with its islands, waterfalls, and remnants of ancient Mayan ruins. For the wealthy, it is also a tropical paradise.

Jasmine Hartin, age 32, worked in Belize as the Director of Lifestyle and Experience at the luxury Alaia resort hotel. The Alaia luxury hotel was newly opened in 2021 and is owned by Hartin’s romantic partner 42-year-old Andrew Ashcroft. Ashcroft is the son of billionaire Lord Ashcroft who is heavily involved in UK politics.

Hartin lived a life of luxury in Belize but on May 27, 2021, she killed a Belizean police officer, Henry Jemmott, in the town of San Pedro. Hartin was immediately arrested and taken into custody.

The investigation is currently ongoing but many questions have arisen over the killing of Jemmott. Why was a socialite being charged with a police officer’s death? Why was she even talking to him in the first place and was the killing intentional or an accident?

The mysterious socialite

The media has designated Hartin to be a socialite with a mysterious past. There is not much background information on her although she is reported to have both Canadian and American citizenship.

Before Hartin became an executive at her partner’s resort hotel, she worked as a real estate agent in Belize from 2015 to 2017. It is not certain when Hartin met Ashcroft or even if the couple had married but they were romantic partners and had two children together.

Although Hartin lived a life of luxury, she was also comfortable mixing with the locals in San Pedro. According to the owner of a local San Pedro establishment that Hartin frequented, she loved the freedom of being with the locals and sometimes felt constricted by her wealthy lifestyle.

She would exhale as soon as she walked through the door because she could be herself here. She had a luxurious life but she enjoyed being with locals, she felt more alive.

Hartin made friends with the locals. She was especially friendly with the police because she felt safe with them. She would socialize with members of the Belizean police force and had no hesitation going out drinking and dancing with them. She would even stay out partying past the COVID-19 curfew.

As Hartin socialized with the Belizean police, she became good friends with Police Superintendent Henry Jemmott.

The killing of a cop

Jemmott and Hartin’s relationship is murky and the nature of their relationship remains unknown. Jemmott was a high-ranking police officer. He already had a long-term romantic partner with whom he had five children so it is possible that he and Hartin were just friends. However, on the day that he died, he told a friend that he was going out on a date with a mystery woman in San Pedro.

He also boasted that he was staying at the luxurious Grand Colony Villas in San Pedro which was owned by Hartin’s partner, Ashcroft.

According to a friend, Jemmott was feeling very happy about meeting his mystery date. Unbeknownst to his friend, the mystery date happened to be Hartin.

Jemmott and Hartin met on a pier in San Pedro for a night of drinking on May 27, 2021. The two reportedly socialized for many hours. Later in the night, a security guard heard a single gunshot noise. Jemmott had been shot by Hartin with Jemmott’s own gun.

Jemmott was killed by a 9mm bullet which was fired from his Glock 17 handgun. He was found floating on his back about 30 feet from the shore. The handgun was found nearby with the empty shell casing that fired the fatal bullet. A second live round was also found on the jetty. In the meantime, a distressed Hartin was found covered in his blood walking by herself on the pier.

A witness of the incident states,

I saw this white female coming down the pier with blood on the left side of her clothing. She had her hands on her head. I looked at her, I was stunned and I said. Jasmine?

Investigation and arrest

Hartin told investigators that she accidentally shot Jemmott. She claimed that they had both been drinking and talking when he complained of a sore shoulder. She offered him a platonic massage. During the massage, he placed his gun on the dock. When he asked her to hand his gun back, she fired at him by accident.

Independent firearms experts disagree with Hartin’s statement that the firing of the gun could have been accidental. According to them, the Glock 17 handgun would have had a safety mechanism and it would have been very hard to trigger the gun to fire by accident with the safety in place.

After the murder, Hartin was placed in jail in San Pedro. In jail, an inmate reported that she told him a different version of the shooting death where she claimed that Jemmott was gunned down by a passing boat.

Conclusion

As of June 8, 2021, Hartin is locked up in Belize Central Prison awaiting her next hearing. She has been charged with manslaughter by negligence. This is the least serious offense for causing someone’s death. The maximum penalty in Belize for manslaughter by negligence is 5 years in prison or a simple fine without a prison term.

Hartin had requested bail but it was denied on the grounds that she was a “serious flight risk.” Her lawyer has appealed the decision to the supreme court.

Jemmott’s family isn’t happy about the lenient charges brought against Hartin. They are desperate for answers and believe there is more to it than an accidental death. They are planning to file a wrongful death lawsuit against Hartin.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Sources: The Independent, ABC News, The Daily Mail, NY Post

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