Bakari Henderson, 22, from Texas traveled to the Greek island of Zakynthos several days ago to do a fashion photo shoot. He never returned. In the early morning on Friday, July 7, he got into a bar fight and was later beaten to death.
Examining security video footage from the bar and surrounding businesses, police have explained how the situation likely ensued, Greek media reported.
Around 3 a.m. Henderson walked into the unnamed bar with several friends, possibly attempting to take selfie with a waitress. But something went wrong. A 32-year-old bouncer at the bar (of Serbian origin with a British passport) walked up to Henderson and started to talk to him in an intense fashion. Henderson hit him in the face and a brawl broke out between Henderson and his friends and the bouncer, a bartender, and other Serbian customers at the bar.
At some point Henderson ran out of the bar and tried to escape. But the bouncer, the 34-year-old bartender, and possibly the other Serbs followed him out, chased him down, knocked him to the ground, and kept beating and kicking him, mostly to the head, even after he lost consciousness.
The bouncer and bartender were arrested for murder. They reportedly said they didn’t intend to kill Henderson.
Six other Serbs were arrested at their hotel without resistance.
An autopsy showed Henderson died of severe blows to the head and suffered a brain hemorrhage.
Henderson just graduated from the University of Arizona. He came to the picturesque island to do a photo shoot for a new clothing line. A bar fight was out of character for him, his neighbor Bill Norton told CBS News.
“He didn’t have any of those characteristics that you would think about in terms of bar-room brawls,” Norton said. “You know, it just didn’t fit Bakari’s nature. So I’m just puzzled.”
“Bakari loved spending time with family and friends, traveling, and meeting new people. He was a big thinker and enjoyed coming up with new business ventures,” his family said in a statement.
Henderson’s body will be transported back home. A GoFundMe page, set up to collect donations for funeral and other expenses, garnered some $38,000 as of Monday 2 p.m.
Zakynthos island is known for its natural beauty, but the Laganas area in the south is also a favorite party destination for young U.K. tourists.
In 2011, a U.K. teen was stabbed to death and four others injured when they provoked a taxi driver with laser pointers. Last year, a 22-year-old British woman said vodka cocktails served to her at the island contained methanol, leaving her blind and in need of a liver transplant.
