A surprising twist has emerged in the investigation of the tragic death of former President Obama’s personal chef, Tafari Campbell, who was found lifeless in a pond on the Obama’s Martha’s Vineyard mansion. The initial assumptions were that he wasn’t a strong swimmer, however, cyber sleuths discovered a 2019 video showing Campbell taking swimming lessons.
Campbell, 45, from Dumfries, Virginia, was recovered from the Edgartown Great Road by Massachusetts State Police divers on Monday.
The recovery operation took place around 100 feet from the shoreline at a depth of approximately eight feet. Massachusetts Environmental Police Officers, utilizing side-scan sonar, were the first to locate the victim’s body, as mentioned in a news release from Massachusetts State Police.
Witnesses reported that the paddleboarder appeared to be struggling to stay afloat and submerged beneath the water around 7:46 p.m.
Police confirmed that Campbell was visiting Martha’s Vineyard and employed by the Obamas at the time of his passing. It’s worth noting that initial reports suggested that the Obamas were NOT present at the residence during the incident, however, we have since learned that those reports were inaccurate. The Obamas WERE present at the time of Tafari’s mysterious death.
In a photo posted on Instagram in 2017, Campbell was seen with his wife, Sherise Campbell, at Baby Beach in San Nicolas, Aruba. The hashtags used in the post, such as #wemadesomeprogress and #stillcantswim, indicated that he might not have been a strong swimmer at that time.
By 2019, it seems that Campbell had taken steps to overcome his swimming challenge. Video posts from that year, taken at Onelife Fitness in Woodbridge, Virginia, captured Campbell during swimming lessons.
In one of the clips, Campbell could be seen practicing freestyle strokes transitioning into a backstroke with his arms.
He shared statistics from his swimming sessions, showcasing significant improvement over time. One post revealed Campbell’s accomplishments, as he completed a combination of 25 yards of backstroke, 100 yards of freestyle, and 200 yards of backstroke in just 34 minutes. On a separate occasion, he achieved a breaststroke of 25 yards, backstroke of 100 yards, and freestyle of 175 yards in a commendable 37 minutes.
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The revelation has added to the mystery surrounding his death, as it offers evidence of Campbell’s swimming abilities, prompting speculation about the factors that might have contributed to this tragic event.
The reason behind Campbell’s fatal accident remains uncertain. The State Police Detective Unit for the Cape and Islands District, alongside the Edgartown Police, persist in their investigation to uncover the details surrounding Campbell’s untimely passing.
