The Joe Cool is a fishing charter boat that was found abandoned off the coast of Florida in late September 2007. The crew was missing, however the two men who charted the boat were found on a life raft 30 miles from the coast of Cuba. Kirby Archer and Guillermo Zarabozo are on trial for the murders of the Joe Cool crew. None of the bodies have been recovered.
Murder Trial
Though initially pleading guilty to first-degree murder, defendant Guillermo Zarabozo now contends that co-defendant Kirby Archer killed all four crew members after Captain Jake Branam denied Zarabozo's request to take the boat to Cuba. According to Miami prosecutors, Archer was attempting to flee an outstanding arrest warrant issued in Arkansas.
Zarabozo says that Archer forced him at gunpoint into a raft after he had shot the four victims.CNN: 'Joe Cool' Suspect: Co-defendant Held Me at Gunpoint (August 13, 2008)
References
Fast Facts
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Fact:
A 47-foot charter fishing boat
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Crew
Captain Jake Branam, his wife, Kelly, Jake's half-brother Scott Gamble and first mate Samuel Kairy
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Fact:
Kirby Archer and Guillermo Zarabozo paid $4,000 to charter the Joe Cool to the Bahamas
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Fact:
Archer and Zarabozo were charged with four counts each of first-degree murder, kidnapping and robbery in the deaths of the crew members
