Darien's Scott Hapgood Case Gets A 'Look' From President Trump

DARIEN, CT — President Trump took to his favorite medium, Twitter, on Monday morning to say that he "will be looking into" the case of Darien resident Scott Hapgood, accused of killing a hotel worker during an altercation in Anguilla in April. Trump's interest in the case was piqued when Kallie Hapgood, Scott's wife and the mother of their three young children, appeared on the Fox News show "Fox & Friends." She appealed to Trump and said her family has been through a nightmare.

"We need help," she said. "You know, I've seen Trump help Americans in peril around the globe, and we really need his help. My husband is a loving man. He's never been involved in any sort of charge at all. We're so a fish out of water right now, we don't know what's going on. We've never experienced anything like this before. He's a good man, and he doesn't deserve this. All we wanted to do was take a vacation with our children, spend time with ourselves, the five of us. We did not invite this."

Malliouhana hotel worker Kenny Mitchel, 27, died following an altercation with Hapgood in the family's room with Hapgood's two young daughters present. Hapgood has steadfastly maintained that he only acted in self-defense after Mitchel tried to rob him.

A recently released toxicology report obtained by The New York Times says that Mitchel died from a lethal amount of cocaine in his system at the time of the altercation, an amount so vast that it was considered to be more than twice the amount that could kill a person.

Kallie Hapgood said that the report shows that Mitchel died from the cocaine in his system, not from anything done by her husband, who suffered a stab wound in the conflict.

Scott Hapgood, who was charged with manslaughter, is scheduled to return to Anguilla Nov. 11 for his next court date.

Trump wrote soon after the Fox News segment aired that "something looks and sounds very wrong" concerning the case, and that he believes Anguilla "will want to see this case be properly and justly resolved!"

"Trump, I've seen him do amazing things for Americans, and Scott Hapgood is the type of American you want to help," she said.

If he somehow intervenes in the case, Trump would not be the only person trying to help Hapgood.

Last month, a GoFundMe page was launched by friends in an effort to raise funds for Hapgood's defense, but the online charity organization took down the page for violating the site's terms of service. GoFundMe is a Patch promotional partner.

Recently, an iPetitions effort also was launched to appeal to Connecticut's senators, Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, and other public officials for help in freeing Hapgood.

"Our friend Scott Hapgood is fighting for his life," the petition reads. "He's due back in Anguilla on November 11th, but there is no guarantee of a safe return (or a return at all). He has a target on his back. There seems to be more of a focus on politics than facts and evidence and locals have issued numerous public death threats. We need our US elected officials to intervene on Scott's behalf. This situation is neither fair nor just, his human rights are being violated. Please sign this petition in an effort to not only draw this case to the forefront, but also to resolve it quickly. There is no need for Scott to return to Anguilla for the fourth time, further jeopardizing his life, when charges could and should be dropped or, in the very least, he should be allowed to participate remotely, from US soil."

The petition is hoping to garner 4,500 signatures and as of Oct. 14 garnered more than 4,200.

• "Save Scott Hapgood" iPetitions page.