Jane Tipson was a conservationist and animal rights activist who was murdered in the Caribbean island nation Saint Lucia in 2003. It is alleged that she was victim of a contract killing for her work against the construction of dolphinarium tourist attractions by the Dolphin Fantaseas group, and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to her killer being brought to justice. They also alleged that Saint Lucia police contaminated the crime scene, and were treating the investigation as a low priority. [1] [2] Tipson was stopped on a private road that led to her home, and shot at close range in the back of her neck. [3] Police were not discounting an anti-environmentalism motive, [4] as there is substantial evidence to suggest that the murder was related to a proposed dolphinarium being built in St. Lucia. [5]
However, her sister, who lived with her on the island and found her shortly after her murder, claimed that it was unlikely that her environmentalism had anything to do with her murder, and that she considered the police were trying their best to solve the case. [6] Dolphin Fantaseas disclaimed any involvement. [1]
Jane Tipson, originally hailing from Cornwall, United Kingdom, and having lived in Saint Lucia for three decades, had been a co-founder of the Eastern Caribbean Coalition for Environmental Awareness, and was active in many campaigns against captive whale and dolphin tourism activities, instead promoting whale watching and dolphin watching tourism. [2] She was also the founder and president of Slaps, the Saint Lucia Animal Protection Society and owner of a local restaurant. [4]
References
- ^ a b Murder riddle of a dolphin lover – The Sunday Times, 21 September 2003
- ^ a b Sea Shepherd Posts Reward in St. Lucia Jane Tipson Murder Case Archived 7 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine (from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society website. Retrieved 13 January 2010.)
- ^ "News in brief". The Daily Telegraph. London. 18 September 2003. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
- ^ a b Animal Rights Activist Jane Tipson Murdered Over Dolphin Slave Trade Archived 25 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine – CYBER DIVER News Network, 19 September 2003
- ^ EJOLT. "Proposed Dolphinarium in Pigeon Island, Saint Lucia | EJAtlas". Environmental Justice Atlas. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
- ^ Mystery of campaigner's death – BBC News, Friday, 31 October 2003
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