Summary based on the NamUs case record (CP999656515) and
1 other sourceOn September 23, 2007, 27-year-old Samuel Kairy, a first mate, disappeared from Miami, Florida, along with three other crew members of the fishing boat *Joe Cool*. The vessel was chartered for a trip to Bimini, Bahamas, by Kirby Logan Archer and Guillermo Alfonso Zarabozo. The other missing individuals were Captain Jake Branam, his wife Kelley Branam, and his half-brother Scott Gamble. The group was expected to return to Miami the following day.
The trip was a ruse by Archer, who was a fugitive from Arkansas, to hijack the boat and flee to Cuba. When the *Joe Cool* failed to return as scheduled, Jake Branam's uncle alerted the authorities. On September 23, the U.S. Coast Guard found the 47-foot vessel adrift and deserted about 50 miles off the coast of Cuba, nearly 160 miles off its intended course. The boat was in disarray, with the life raft missing, suggesting a hurried departure. Investigators found bloodstains, a handcuff key, and four 9mm shell casings on the boat.
On September 27, Archer and Zarabozo were discovered in the boat's life raft not far from where the *Joe Cool* was found. They initially claimed that Cuban pirates had hijacked the boat and killed the crew. However, their stories were inconsistent, and they were arrested. Investigators determined that Archer and Zarabozo had murdered the four crew members and thrown their bodies overboard; the remains were never recovered.
Kirby Archer, who was facing charges in Arkansas for theft and child molestation, pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree murder, kidnapping, and hijacking in July 2008 to avoid the death penalty. He was sentenced to five consecutive life terms in prison. Guillermo Zarabozo maintained his innocence, claiming Archer committed the murders and threatened him. His first trial ended in a hung jury on the murder charges, though he was convicted on weapons charges. In a retrial in February 2009, Zarabozo was found guilty on all counts, including four counts of murder, and was sentenced to five life sentences plus 85 years.Last Seen: Sep 23, 2007
