New Yorker Brian Tarrence vanishes while on romantic vacation in Turks and Caicos with his wife: ‘He basically disappears’

A Manhattan man has vanished in Turks and Caicos after he bizarrely left his Airbnb in the early morning while on a romantic vacation with his wife.

Brian Tarrence, 51, was seen on security footage leaving his rental in Grace Bay, Providenciales, and walking toward the tourist-heavy downtown area at around 3:30 a.m. on June 25, private investigator Carl DeFazio told News 12 Westchester.

DeFazio, who Tarrence’s family hired, said nothing was out of the ordinary leading up to his disappearance.

“Everything prior to the point where he walked out of that house, he seems fine,” DeFazio said.

“They had a boat trip and went to dinner, just like every other family would do when they’re here.”

However, that evening, his wife went to bed, and when she woke up, her husband was no longer at the Airbnb.

“We have him on camera, and he walks into town, and then he basically disappears, and we haven’t heard from him since,” the former NYPD officer and Marine who has been a PI since the 1990s, told Fox News.

Tarrence, who recently moved from Monroe, New York, to Manhattan, touched down in Turks and Caicos with his wife of one year on June 22 and planned to stay until June 29.

Tarrance was seen leaving the Airbnb wearing a T-shirt, shorts, and sneakers.

He also had his cellphone and wallet with him when he left, noting that the area from which he went missing is “very safe,” DeFazio said.

But why Tarrence left the rental in the first place remains a mystery.

“That’s a little bizarre in itself,” he said. “He’s in the middle of town. His wife was sleeping.”

DeFazio has been working hard to obtain a record of Tarrence’s phone activity on the islands, but it’s a slow process, he said.

The PI said the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police have listed Tarrence as missing and are investigating the matter.

Police in the British Overseas Territory are utilizing every resource at their disposal to help find the New Yorker, including using drones to scan the area and reviewing CCTV footage in hopes of tracing his steps on the night of his disappearance, the PI said.

DeFazio added that he’s “very proud of the response from the local businesses and people on vacation,” many of whom have offered their assistance after missing persons flyers with Tarrance’s face were distributed “everywhere in Turks and Caicos.”

The seasoned investigator said he has no reason to believe foul play is involved in Tarrence’s disappearance, but it not ruling out any possibilities.

“So far, we haven’t been successful in anything, but we’re not giving up hope. … What I tell the family … in cases like this: Stay positive until you have a reason not to be,” DeFazio said.

“He’s a smart guy. … We don’t know what’s in his mind or if he did this on his own or if somebody took him in.”

Tarrance’s wife is remaining in Turks and Caicos to help with the search.

Turks and Caicos police are asking anyone with information about Tarrence’s disappearance to contact 911 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477.

In March, the US State Department issued a travel advisory for tourists to exercise increased caution in the Turks and Caicos Islands due to a rise in crime. 

Last year, violent robberies grew by 143% and gun-related crimes by 123% in Turks and Caicos, according to InSight Crime.

Turks and Caicos Islands’ homicide rate also surged to 103.1% in 2024 with 48 murders — making it the highest in Latin America and the Caribbean.

with Post wires