jamesmcphee

“Daddy… my daddy.”

Those heartbreaking words echoed through the cemetery as one of James McPhee’s sons clung to his father’s coffin, overwhelmed by grief. Unable to stand on his own, he had to be held and comforted as loved ones said their final goodbye to a man they say lived with courage, conviction, and an unwavering loyalty to those he loved.

Inside Bible Truth Church, hymns filled the sanctuary as family, friends, political leaders, and colleagues gathered on Monday to celebrate the life of the businessman whose death has shaken the nation.

As the congregation sang “And Can It Be,” McPhee’s wife and sons embraced his casket one last time before it was closed forever.

“Daddy!”

“I love you,” one grieving son cried.

Moments later, another hymn gently carried the congregation through their sorrow: “It Is Well With My Soul.”

For those who knew James McPhee, his greatest legacy the way he showed up for people.

Killarney MP Michaela Barnett-Ellis described him as “bold and loyal.”

She recalled that although McPhee proudly referred to himself as “an Ingraham FNM,” he never wavered in supporting people he believed in.

“James never let me doubt that he believed in me,” she said, reflecting on her 2026 election campaign.

“He leaves us with an example—to stand for what you believe, to support others, and to always show up.”

Former Cabinet Minister Shane Gibson struggled to find the words as he sang “How Great Thou Art” before paying tribute to a man he had known for more than two decades.

“When James entered the room, everyone knew he was there,” Gibson said. “His presence was so warm, so genuine, so full of life.”

The two first met while serving in the Bahamas Public Services Union, where McPhee was a shop steward.

Although they belonged to opposing political parties, Gibson said that never mattered to James.

Recalling his own political ambitions, Gibson remembered McPhee telling him: “I ain’t no PLP… you is my man. I support you.”

It was a reflection, he said, of a man who valued him.

But the service also confronted the circumstances of his death.

McPhee was deliberately killed just weeks before he was expected to testify in a 2019 robbery case against a man accused of robbing him. Court records indicate the accused had been granted bail and allegedly failed to report to police 81 times before McPhee’s death.

Gibson questioned how so many missed bail check-ins could have gone without intervention.

“Eighty-one times,” he said, pausing as murmurs of agreement spread through the church.

“Eighty-one opportunities for the system to intervene.”

He suggested those missed reports represented missed opportunities that might have spared McPhee’s family the heartbreak they now carry.

Free National Movement Leader Michael Pintard remembered McPhee as a man who was never afraid to speak his mind.

“He had an opinion, and he was passionate about expressing it,” Pintard said.

Calling for an end to the violence affecting Bahamian communities, he added: “This carnage in our streets and in our homes has got to stop.”

Perhaps the most emotional tribute came from McPhee’s twin brother, John, who described him simply as “the best human being I had ever known.”

“He was humanitarian. He was brave. He was never ambiguous. You always knew where you stood with him.”

John rejected the idea that his brother’s life should be remembered only by the way it ended.

“He refused to bow,” he said.

“He refused to let darkness have the last word.”

He delivered one final plea.

“I am his twin. I am his other half.”

“Will someone help me carry this message?”

Credit: Virtual Funeral for video coverage

James McPhee’s death can be viewed as a test of public confidence in the Bahamas’ criminal justice system.

Police allege that McPhee was deliberately killed just weeks before he was expected to testify in a robbery case against a man accused of robbing him in 2019. That accused man had been granted bail and court records also indicate allegations that he missed 81 required police check-ins before McPhee’s death.

Those facts alone have left the public asking questions.

Bail is a constitutional right in many circumstances and exists because people charged with crimes are presumed innocent until proven guilty, but bail also depends on trust in the suspect.

The courts trust that an accused person will obey the conditions imposed upon them, attend court, and not interfere with witnesses or commit further offences while awaiting trial.

When those conditions are repeatedly ignored, the public naturally begins to question whether the system designed to protect both the rights of the accused and public safety is indeed functioning.

If allegations that dozens of required police check-ins were missed are accurate, how did that happen?

Were authorities aware and what action was taken after the first missed check-in? What about the tenth or the fiftieth missed check-in?

These go directly to public safety.

McPhee was reportedly expected to be a key witness in the robbery trial.

If witnesses believe cooperating with police and the courts could place their lives in greater danger, fewer people will be willing to testify in future cases.

Justice depends on witnesses, and without them, many prosecutions become significantly difficult.

The robbery case dated back to 2019, years before it was scheduled for trial.

Every delay extends the period during which victims, witnesses, and accused persons remain in limbo. While delays can occur for legitimate reasons, they can also increase risks for everyone involved.

None of these questions diminishes the importance of due process. The accused remains innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law, the police investigation must be allowed to proceed independently; and the courts must determine the facts.

But regardless of how the criminal case unfolds, McPhee’s death has already exposed issues that deserve national attention—bail supervision does not work; high-risk cases are not monitored effectively; witnesses in serious criminal matters do not receive greater protection; and the justice system does not move serious cases to trial quickly.

These are truths that extend far beyond McPhee’s family.

He leaves behind a wife, children, relatives, friends, and employees, and it is a personal tragedy.

His death is also an opportunity for national reflection, because, in the end, justice should be measured by whether the public believes the system can protect those who seek it.