MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica -- Sandals Resorts said it fired a bartender
at Beaches Negril who admitted having dated missing travel writer
Claudia Kirschhoch after initially denying it to police and to
hotel management.
Kirschhoch, an editor for Frommer's Travel Guides in New York,
went missing in Jamaica on or about May 27 while on a press trip
sponsored by Sandals. She was staying at Beaches Negril.
Sandals said the bartender admitted to hotel management on July
29 that he went out with Kirschhoch on the night of May 26.
Sandals said the bartender denied any subsequent contact with
Kirschhoch or knowledge of her whereabouts.
"The bartender's unprofessional contact with a guest is a breach
of company policy," Sandals said in a statement. "As such, his
services have been terminated."
Negril police, who identified the bartender as Anthony Grant,
said he is not a suspect in Kirschhoch's disappearance.
Meanwhile, the Federal Bureau of Investigation confirmed that
Grant was given a polygraph test. It would not elaborate on the
results.
The police spokesman said there still are no leads in the
case.