The Investigation

In addition to Sir Harry Oakes, who was knighted by King George in 1939 in recognition of his achievements, there were also other notable characters living on the island. The most famous being the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. The couple had been exiled to the island by the British government after the Duke’s abdication. They lived a privileged and indulgent life on the island while Europe was in the throes of war. It was the Duke who made sure that any news of Oakes’ death was held back for several days while investigations proceeded. The Duke also enlisted the services of the Miami police rather than the local Nassau police force. It was to prove to be one of the most botched crime investigations of all time. Miami detectives Captain James Barker and Captain Edward Melchen were assigned the task of leading the investigation into the murder. Despite the fact that the two detectives were supposed to be fingerprint experts they were responsible for incredibly inept actions that ruined potential vital evidence. The most glaring oversight was when they forgot to pack an important piece of equipment, a latent-fingerprint camera, en route to Nassau. They also allowed prominent local residents into the Oakes’ house to see where the body had been found. No attempts were made to stop the visitors from handling objects and artefacts at the scene of the crime. What was found at the scene of the crime that revealed that this was a murder case and not a suicide. Investigators found a single bloody handprint on the wall next to Oakes’ bed and there were also several muddy footprints leading up the stairs from the main floor and to the bedroom.