When it comes to the killing of 27-year-old Anguilla hotel worker Kenny Mitchel, officials of the Caribbean island have shrouded the case in mystery. However, when suspect Gavin Scott Hapgood, 44, recently claimed he attacked the maintenance man in “self-defense,” relatives of the victim publicly denied the allegations.

Hapgood was charged with manslaughter and released on $74,000 bond after Mitchel was killed on April 13. According to the death certificate, Mitchel died from “prone restraint, asphyxia and blunt force trauma to the head, neck, and torso.”

Initially, sources at the hotel claimed Hapgood specifically called Mitchel, who was also known as Mylez, to the room, where he was beaten and choked to death.

However, Hapgood's lawyers in Anguilla say Mitchel showed up unannounced and attempted an armed robbery.

"Attacked without warning in his family’s hotel room by a maintenance worker who was armed and demanding money, Scott Hapgood acted in self-defense to protect the lives of his young daughters and himself,” spokesperson Kelcey Kintner, of the Red Banyan Group, said in a statement issued on April 25.

"Despite false reports to the contrary, the Hapgoods never called maintenance. Neither invited nor expected, the worker showed up unannounced in uniform at the hotel room, claiming he was there to fix a broken sink before carrying out his sudden, violent attack on the family,” the statement reads. "A dedicated father and husband and respected member of his community, Scott and the members of his family have been traumatized by the assault they survived and are thankful to be alive.”

Hapgood, who works as an account manager with UBS Global Asset Management, allegedly had "to seek medical attention to his wounds from the altercation, which included multiple cuts from the knife Mr. Mitchel came bearing,” Hapgood’s attorneys said in a statement to NBC News.

Despite Hapgood’s claims, Mitchel’s relatives and locals on the island say the young father would never even think to commit a crime while on the job.

"He would never try something that dumb. Even if it was possible, he would not," Kimon Mitchel, Mylez’s brother, told NBC News. “Why would someone try to do something like that? It doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t add up. It doesn’t make sense.”

Kimon Mitchel said his brother was well-liked and honest and even refused tips from guests.

“He was a very nice person, and people at the hotel would always have good things to say,” Kimon Mitchel said. “Everyone knew Kenny, everyone knew what type of person he was.”

Other people on the island knew Mylez, who was a Dominican national, as a warm and considerate person with an untarnished record.

“Everyone on the island can vouch for him,” Haydn Hughes, an Anguillan radio host, told The Root. “He is a hard worker; he did a lot of jobs at the hotel, he comes from a very good family, his father has a stellar record, brother has an unblemished record ... So, nobody can say that he was the type of person who would try to rip off someone or try to steal.”

Many locals on the island have expressed outrage that Hapgood was allowed to return home after getting charged with manslaughter.

“Unbelievable!” exclaimed Hughes in a lilting Caribbean accent. “We know young men in Anguilla who are caught with marijuana, had to put up significant bond, significant bail, would be in prison, would have to relinquish their travel documents, go to the police station every day at a certain time to sign in to ensure where their whereabouts are and what-have-you. And this man has killed a young man who had no criminality behind him! He comes from a good family, and killed him and leave the island. Unbelievable!”

However, the Royal Anguilla Police Force has worked to keep public discourse surrounding the case at a minimum. On the RAPF Facebook, officials of the island, which is a British overseas territory, are warning residents to stop discussing the case’s racial implications to the press or on social media.

“If you do not, then we will consider if these amount to breaches of the law, and act accordingly. We respect your right to express yourself but this must be done with due regard to good conduct, public order, and the constitution."

Hapgood is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing on August 22 and his lawyer said the suspect “has every intention to return to Anguilla to clear his name,” reported Page Six.