John Travolta Puts an End to Bahamas Extortion Case

By PopEater / Wire Services Posted Sep 6th 2010 11:30AM

A judge in the Bahamas dismissed charges Monday against two people accused of trying to extort money from John Travolta after the prosecutor said the actor no longer wanted to pursue a case stemming from the death of his teenage son.

Prosecutor Neil Braithwaite had submitted a motion to drop the case after a jury had already been picked and a retrial scheduled for the two defendants.

"The Travolta family has said that this matter has caused them unbelievable stress and pain and they wish to put this whole thing behind them," Braithwaite said.

Ambulance driver Tarino Lightbourne and his attorney, politician Pleasant Bridgewater, were accused of threatening to release private information about the January 2009 death of Travolta's 16-year-old son Jett at the family vacation home in Grand Bahama.

Lightbourne, who was among the medics who treated Jett, allegedly sought $25 million from the actor with the assistance of Bridgewater, who resigned her seat in the Bahamas Senate after she was charged in the case.

A judge declared a mistrial in October after a Bahamian lawmaker suggested the still-deliberating jury had acquitted one of the suspects.

Travolta had testified during that trial and one of his attorneys said in October that he had been prepared to testify again if necessary. But the actor said Monday that the delay in prosecuting the case had prompted his decision not to take the stand again

"The long-pending status of this matter continued to take a heavy emotional toll on my family, causing us to conclude that it was finally time to put this matter behind us," he said in a statement to The Associated Press. Therefore, after much reflection I concluded that it was in my family's best interest for me not to voluntarily return to The Bahamas to testify a second time at trial."

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Tags: John Travolta

Comments

(20)

Monday 06 September

By womandisciple

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Glad they are putting it behind them. they need peace& quiet with their new son arriving.

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By Apostate

Perfectly understandable,John. I wish you and yours well as the healing process continues.

By Jeannie

They should go after the National Enquirer next.

By getwithit

What the h does scientology have to do with this. Most religions take money from people while preachers/ministers ride around in expensive cars and live in expensive houses paid for by a person that can not afford either. Get a life, the family has suffered enough and don't need your ignorant statement.

By Jan

Give the people some credit for just letting 'go' of this issue! It's unimaginable to loose a child to begin with, so they probably don't want to open those wounds again now that they are moving on in their lives.

By lindy

God Bless them. Its a shame the two rats that did this to them are getting off, but to lose a child, have the media make a field day out of it and then have someone want to use their child's death as a money maker is beyond human decency. Happy for them with a new child on the way that will have a big brother watching over them. Leave this family to peace.

By Finely tuned and polished

Unfortunately the family was not aware of the slippery style and laziness of ones there. They will hit you for large retainers and for an example at one time, have their meals at the Pink Pearl, Graycliff, and other places at ones expenses, many moons ago. They will bilk you dry, and work at the speed of a snail.

By Raejean

While I would like to see the slime that attempted to cause them more grief after their tragedy put to a slow, painful, death, I support whatever the Travolta family wants to do in order to heal and go on with their lives.

I agree-leave them be.

By Barbara

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A slow painful death for extortion. Boy, you are evil.

By Jay

JP , SHUT THE **** UP if you have nothing to say. They lost their son. Is that not enough? People like you make me sick

By KG

Realizing you have to let go, you can't bring back those loved ones that are deceased, but in this case, I am sorry, these people did try to extort monies and to show pictures that may have taken the last bit of dignity from Jet Travolta and his family. No, they should've be excused, what they did is a crime and those whom want to allow charges to be dropped are just as bad, and are obstructing justice. I honestly don't know what I would do in this situation, and is it really worth the time to rehash that horrific moment in the child's life, or can I "let go and let God" hand down justice upon these reckless and greedy extortionists? Wonder how these perps would feel if someone pulled the same crime on them as they did to John Travolta and his family, should it be their child or loved one?

LU: are you just brain dead, or simply stupid? the people involved in this case did not "kill" their son, but were trying to extort moneies from the Travolta's claiming that they had something to do with the death of their own son? of course to do this is illegal, which is why they were being tried for extortion. now the Travolta's just want to move on and forget about it all!!

Tuesday 07 September

By Shelly Erickson

Lu you're a real piece of work! That's got to be the most brain dead response I've heard in quite some time. People like you make me sick!

If stress kept one from getting pregnant I would never have gotten pregnant four times. I do have stress in my life. Dumb!

By Karla

One cannot understand or feel the pain of others unless they walk in their shoes. I feel so sorry for the Travoltas and their painful loss they feel everyday.No parent wants to out live their children and what a horrific tragedy it is when they do. Whether it be illness...war...or whatever took their lives...your heart will never heal or recover from that loss. Another child cannot replace what is loss...but I hope this will give them enough joy to go on and bring them some happiness they lost in all of this drama they endured. Sometimes it is better to go on and let God handle it...he can do more to them than the justice of man! Time doesn't always heal all wounds..but it gets easier when you let God help you.

By bear

I usually don't side with the hollywood set on most issues. I have liked Travolta since the sweathog days. I don't care what he believes in. The pain that he and his family have gone through , I couldn't even imagine.
I do understand why they stopped, but it is still a crime. I am not a lawyer(obviously) but is there no way to continue charges without their help? There seems to be some evidence of this crime.

By J. Cartwright

Despite all else, he is a good man and has paid his dues in blood sweat and tears. He has paid homage to heaven on many occasions. Cult image be damned, he's doing good work... it is a cult though har har!

By Trizone

I wish them well and hope that their baby is born healthy. It is wise to let it go, in places like the Bahamas, Aruba, Mexico to name a few, the government itself is as corrupt as can be imagined. They would've dragged this out and the Travoltas would've had no rest - something they truly need. Let it go, you will receive justice someday.

Lu, What are you babbling about? Nobody killed their son.

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