Sounak Sengupta
Investigation Discovery’s ‘Death on the Beach: Grenada: The Body In The Suitcase’ chronicles how 27-year-old Nixiann Downes-Clack was murdered inside her Calliste marital home in St. George, Grenada, in mid-June 2014. As the victim’s friends and family were looking for her, they were surprised by a shocking twist that broke the case open very early in the investigation. However, they were shocked by the gross miscarriage of justice a few years later when the killer escaped due to a legal loophole.
Who Was Nixiann Downes-Clack?
Grenada, a small Caribbean island known for its low crime rate, is often hailed as one of the safest destinations in the region. However, Kim Szmyglewski, a Grenadian expatriate, shared a disturbing narrative about the island’s societal underbelly on the show. Despite its scenic beauty, she recounted an alarming normalization of male violence towards female partners. In response to this troubling trend, Kim’s cousin took decisive action to rescue her 15-year-old niece from this environment, shifting her to London in 1991.
While Kim found contentment in her new life in the UK, she couldn’t shake the pangs of homesickness, especially missing her family members, including her aunt Linda and Linda’s daughter, Nixiann, who was then 4. Nixiann’s intellectual prowess became a significant factor in the decision for Kim’s cousin to bring her to the UK. She, then 11, embarked on a 4,349-mile journey from Grenada to London in 1998, reuniting with Kim in Bermondsey. Despite being initially overwhelmed with her new life, she seamlessly assimilated into the English way of life.
Deo Kato, a friend from secondary school, fondly remembered Nixiann as a vibrant individual who embraced life and cared deeply for others. Yet, beneath the surface, Nixiann grappled with conflicting emotions about her desire to return home to her mother and enjoy life in the UK. As Nixiann progressed into college, focusing on travel and tourism, she found employment with a charity organization, engaging in clerical duties and handling interactions with people. Around this time, she encountered the charming Alexander “Alex” Clack online.
Kim claimed on the show that she asked her to be wary about meeting people online, though Nixiann went forward, leading to a romantic relationship in 2008. Alex, then employed as a prison officer, swiftly proposed Nixiann to move in — a move met with caution from Kim. Despite her warnings, Nixiann moved in with Alex, and their relationship began to take a darker turn. Deo disclosed that their communication dwindled, with Alex allegedly monitoring Nixiann’s messages and restricting her interactions with other males.
Alex’s lukewarm reception during a meeting with Nixiann’s family in London further raised concerns. Trouble escalated when Nixiann secretly entrusted money to Kim, hinting at growing tension within her relationship. Alex’s possessiveness reached alarming levels, with frequent calls questioning Nixiann’s whereabouts and when she would return home. Kim, increasingly alarmed, hoped for an end to the relationship, only to be shocked when Nixiann revealed Alex’s desire to move with her to Grenada in early 2009.
Before Nixiann arrived in Grenada, Alex had already spent a month there, ingratiating himself with her family. Despite Kim’s efforts to uncover the truth about Alex’s character, she discovered his history of physical abuse from Nixiann’s friend, Deo. Disturbingly, the cycle of abuse, apologies, and reconciliation persisted. Despite Kim’s warnings, Nixiann and Alex were wed on June 17, 2009. Post-marriage, the facade of Alex’s amicable demeanor began to crumble, evident to Nixiann’s family, leading the couple to relocate to Calliste in St. George.
Who Killed Nixiann Downes-Clack?
By 2011, the couple announced Nixiann’s pregnancy, but by 2014, neighbors began to notice signs of domestic violence, further exacerbated by their heated arguments. On June 16, 2014, Kim had her last conversation with Nixiann. She revealed her intention to leave Alex, with plans to visit her mother on June 17. However, when she did not arrive at her mother’s place as scheduled, her mother, Linda, began to worry. She and a few family members made the 24-mile journey to check on her when Nixiann failed to take their calls.
Upon reaching there, Alex refused to let them enter the house, claiming Nixiann had packed her luggage and moved out in the morning. He alleged he had no idea about her whereabouts, contending she had told him she was going to her mother’s place. Worried, Linda visited the police, who refused to take a complaint, citing the need to wait for at least 48 hours before they could register a police complaint.
Meanwhile, Nixiann’s family and friends started searching the island for the missing mother, who had even left her daughter, then two, at home. However, Calliste had a dense population, making it impossible for them to find Nixiann without the help of the authorities. A determined Linda coaxed the police to visit her daughter’s house, only to find Alex had fled, leaving his infant child in the care of a teen babysitter. When the officers questioned the frightened teen, she claimed she was worried as she had not seen Nixiann since morning.
After 48 hours, the police registered a missing person’s complaint and scoured the island for Nixiann. They also issued a lookout notice for Alex, who surprisingly turned himself in voluntarily on the night of June 19. He swore he wanted to cooperate with the authorities, asserting his innocence and even hinting that his missing wife might have fled with another man. However, under intense interrogation, Alex finally crumbled and confessed to killing Nixiann during a bitter fight on June 17 morning when she confronted him regarding having an affair.
Where Is Alex Clack Now?
On the morning of June 20, Alex took the police to a house in Mt. Moritz, where the authorities found Nixiann’s body stuffed in a suitcase and buried in a shallow grave. According to reports, the residence was believed to be owned by his teen lover — the couple’s babysitter, then 17. Alex confessed to battering and fatally strangling his 27-year-old wife, putting her body in a suitcase, and discarding it in his lover’s home on their fourth wedding anniversary. He, then 34, was sentenced to 67 years and six months in late February 2016.
Alex, then 40, appealed against his conviction, and due to a stroke of luck, the charges against him were dismissed, and he was released in early October 2022. The Court of Appeal issued a directive for Alex’s release on September 20, 2022 — a decision prompted by the mysterious disappearance of a computer containing crucial court transcripts at the Supreme Court Registry. While Nixiann’s family members were shocked by the decision, Alex’s legal counsel indicated that “the British High Commission assisted in arrangements to fly him home.”
