Anguilla Closely Following Accusation Of Manslaughter Involving Connecticut Man At Resort

DARIEN, Conn. (CBSNewYork) - A Connecticut man says he acted in self-defense when he killed a hotel worker in the Caribbean.

Some on the island of Anguilla are not buying the explanation for the vacation violence, CBS2's Tony Aiello reports.

Longtime Darien resident Scott Hapgood - a high school football star in the early 90s – is now charged with manslaughter.

Police in Anguilla say on April 13, Hapgood killed hotel worker Kenny Mitchel - whose cause of death has been ruled as asphyxiation and blunt force trauma.

The incident happened at the upscale Malliouhana Resort where Mitchel worked as a maintenance man.

A statement from a spokeswoman for Hapgood, he was "attacked without warning in his family's hotel room by a maintenance worker who was armed and demanding money. Scott Hapgood acted in self-defense to protect the lives of his young daughters and himself."

The spokeswoman says Mitchel came to the room on a pretense before attacking Hapgood.

"(The Hapgood) family is traumatized by the assault they survived and are thankful to be alive," the statement read.

Meanwhile, 1,800 miles from Darien, people in Anguilla are closely following developments in the case.

Mitchel is described as a gentle family man who doted on his daughter and loved his job.

Some find it hard to believe Mitchel would suddenly turn to violence.

"Persons in Anguilla are skeptical because they don't know what happened," said Anguilla radio host Abner Brooks. "Kenny's dead. Kenny's dead, and we only have Mr. Hapgood's story. So we don't know what to believe here."

There is also anger Hapgood was granted bond and allowed to fly back to the United State states.

He's under orders to return for a court date in August.