Another Expat Victim

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Lambada

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El Nacional is reporting the death by shooting of 63 year old Gerd Bercteim (that surname could be incorrectly spelled by El Nacional), a German expat living in Islabon, east of Cabarete.
El Nacional, la voz de todos

Information from a different source says the victim had moved to the DR from the Turks and Caicos fairly recently in order to retire. El Nacional says the motive is unknown at present and that a number of people were detained for investigation and subsequently released. Since this only happened around midnight Wednesday night/Thusday morning that is a fairly fast investigation.

Information received but not in El Nacional indicates that the victim recently fired his gardener and broke up with his girlfriend but it is not known whether these are salient causative factors for his demise.
 

Chris

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Oct 21, 2002
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Oh my God ... no! We have known Gerd very well for many many years. While he was in the Turks and Caicos, he was a long standing customer of ours and it was on our prompting that he started investigating the DR as a place to retire to. Oh heavens! Gerd was a gentle man, a lover, not a fighter.
 

Lambada

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I am told by someone who knew the victim 'he was a very nice quiet unassuming person, a little too trusting..'

As you say, really sad. Sorry Chris, didn't see your post while I was typing.
 

Chris

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If there was anyone that did not deserve violent death, it is Gerd Bernstein. He lived in the Turks and Caicos amongst the locals there with no trouble whatsoever, for something like 40 years. His business was one of the oldest on the islands. He visited the DR for three years or so, before taking the plunge and retiring.
 

Kemo

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Nov 2, 2006
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i HOPE THIS CASE IS A SUICIDE OR SOMETHING! YOU ALSO HAVE TO REALIZE THAT THERE ARE ALLOT OF PEOPLE DRAWN TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC FOR ITS CORRUPTION AND ALLOWANCE OF THE AUTHORITIES IN AREAS OF THE ISLAND OF PROSTITUTION AND OTHER DELICTIVE BEHAVIORS. HOPEFULLY THIS PERSON WAS INVLOVE IN SOMEKIND OF OUTLAW SITUATION AND HE GOT CAUGHT IN THE CROSS FIRE.

BUT IN GENERAL I FEEL TOURIST AREAS IN THE D.R ARE VERY SAFE. AND THE D.R IS MUCH SAFER THAN MEXICO, COSTA RICA EL SALVADOR AND OTHER AREAS THAT ARE MUCH WORST!
 

Lambada

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We have information from two separate sources that it is most unlikely that the victim was involved in anything remotely resembling 'outlaw behaviour' as you put it, so I think that that can be discounted. I also have information that the victim's own gun was missing; whilst that does not make suicide impossible, it makes it pretty unlikely.

I think we just have to accept that the DR is not as safe as it used to be.
 

cobraboy

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Jul 24, 2004
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I think we just have to accept that the DR is not as safe as it used to be.
Is any place on the planet as safe as it used to be? Iceland? Greenland? Tierra del Fuego?

Too many rats in the small earth-cage...
 

Chirimoya

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Dec 9, 2002
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Was he a poster on DR1? It may be a different person but I seem to recall there is a poster called Gerd.
 

billyidol

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Feb 9, 2004
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can some one tell me how close islabon is to the camino del sol area please?





El Nacional is reporting the death by shooting of 63 year old Gerd Bercteim (that surname could be incorrectly spelled by El Nacional), a German expat living in Islabon, east of Cabarete.
El Nacional, la voz de todos

Information from a different source says the victim had moved to the DR from the Turks and Caicos fairly recently in order to retire. El Nacional says the motive is unknown at present and that a number of people were detained for investigation and subsequently released. Since this only happened around midnight Wednesday night/Thusday morning that is a fairly fast investigation.

Information received but not in El Nacional indicates that the victim recently fired his gardener and broke up with his girlfriend but it is not known whether these are salient causative factors for his demise.
 

ahogachivo

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Oct 5, 2006
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death penalty

very sorry to heard once again if the Dominican people do not take of this is going to end up hurting the little economy more than anything else sorry for gerd and hope that one day the death penalty may be include in the dominican penal code i m mad like a mother f.ck.. this is unsane there is all sorts of crimes going onand no one seems to care where are the f..... embasies when heir citicens are slayed over b.s. and why everyone seems so eager to promote tourism 4 a country that is doing little or nothing 4 those that choose to live there being adominican myself i will say lets all start voicoting the dr.till the safety of allis secure
 

BushBaby

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tflea,Lambada & dmad - please don't let the ramblings of an 'Old Man' (& getting a lot older by the day by the looks of things) get this thread off track. He hasn't upset anyone for 24 hours or so & needs to see himself in print again!!

I hope the German press take the example of the Taiwanese & send a large press corps over here to "Help" with the police investigations!! Embassies in foreign countries are not permitted (& take FULL advatage of that fact) to get involved with the legal processes of the country they are in - even if that means protecting the name of one of their own citizens. It would have been very rewarding to see some members of the US Press down here supporting Mark Robbins after his father Lloyd was murdered - just some 4 weeks ago today!! It is not too late US Press association - the Puerto Plata police really need some persuasion to continue their enquiries & endeavour to find the REAL reason for Lloyd's murder.

The more 'WORLD' exposure these murders get, the more pressure will be envorced on this present administration to take some action to curb the violence!! ~ Grahame.
 
G

gary short

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Why have I not seen government issued travel alerts in Can and the U.S.
 

Lambada

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The print version of El Faro has this murder as their front page headline and the story appears on P.2. Article confirms what was said above about the victim being a normal, friendly person. El Faro are suggesting that ex-girlfriend was involved and they also link her with the gardener in a relationship sense. According to El Faro this woman was seen earlier that evening on a motoconcho in that area. No comment in paper as to whether anything in the home was stolen. Bear in mind that El Faro are probably reflecting 'the word on the street' since no 'proof' was present in the story. If this story appears in the online version of El Faro I'll post a link later when this becomes available.
 

qgrande

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Jul 27, 2005
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This is very sad, another expat in a very short period.

Just today I noticed that for the first time (at least in a long time) the Dutch foreign affairs ministry has a travel alert for the Dominican Republic, stressing the increasing occurrence of violence, assault and robbery, including the tourist areas...
Let's hope combatting such events and their causes becomes a real priority.
 

Rocky

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Apr 4, 2002
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This is very sad, another expat in a very short period.

Just today I noticed that for the first time (at least in a long time) the Dutch foreign affairs ministry has a travel alert for the Dominican Republic, stressing the increasing occurrence of violence, assault and robbery, including the tourist areas...
Let's hope combatting such events and their causes becomes a real priority.
This is a terrible thing, again.
Two great men in such a short period of time.
I know this is not the thread to talk about tourism, but let's not lose sight that these murders have nothing to do with tourism or tourists.
 
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