The Infamous Vessel: Joe Cool's Deadly Voyage

The Joe Cool was a 47-foot Miami-based fishing charter boat. It was purchased by Jake Branam, who named it after his father. On September 22, 2007, the Joe Cool embarked on a trip to Bimini in the Bahamas with four crew members and two passengers. The boat was later found abandoned in the water, with no sign of the crew. The two passengers, Kirby Logan Archer and Guillermo Zarabozo, were found in the vessel's life raft nearby. They claimed that the boat had been hijacked by Cuban pirates, but investigators suspected that Archer had chartered the vessel in order to flee to Cuba and escape criminal charges in Arkansas.

The Joe Cool was a 47-foot fishing charter boat

On that fateful September day, the Joe Cool set sail from Miami towards the Bahamas with six people on board. In addition to Branam, the crew included Branam's wife, Kelley, his half-brother and mechanical expert Scott, and the ship's first mate, Sam Kairy. They were joined by two passengers, Kirby Logan Archer and Guillermo Zarabozo, who had chartered the boat for a trip to Bimini.

However, the true intention of Archer and Zarabozo was not a leisure cruise but a sinister plot. Archer, a fugitive from Arkansas, was facing child molestation charges and was accused of stealing $92,000 from his former employer, Walmart. He had chartered the Joe Cool as part of a plan to flee to Cuba and avoid prosecution. Zarabozo, a Cuban-American, later claimed that Archer had duped him into believing they were going to Bimini to work for the CIA as bodyguards for high-ranking government officials.

The Joe Cool never made it to its intended destination. Instead, it was found abandoned in the water, with signs of a grim struggle left behind. Bloodstains and bullet casings indicated that something horrific had taken place on board. The four crew members were never seen again, and their bodies were never recovered. Archer and Zarabozo were found floating in the boat's life raft, spinning a tale of being attacked by Cuban pirates. However, their story unravelled as investigators uncovered the truth, leading to their arrests and convictions for the heinous murders.

It was owned by Jeff Branam and captained by his nephew, Jake Branam

The Joe Cool was a 47-foot Miami-based fishing charter boat owned by Jeff Branam and captained by his nephew, Jake Branam. Jeff Branam was the sole officer and shareholder of Deep Sea Miami Inc., which owned the Joe Cool. Jake Branam, a self-described "natural water person", had purchased the boat and named it after his father. He went into business with his cousin Jonathan, brother Scott, and friend Sam Kairy.

On September 22, 2007, Jake Branam, along with Sam Kairy, Scott, and Jake's wife, Kelley, set off on a trip to the Bahamas. Kelley, who was afraid of the water, had joined the trip to spend time with her husband. The four were due back the following morning, but the boat never arrived. Jonathan called the Coast Guard to report the overdue vessel, and a search was initiated. The Joe Cool was soon found abandoned in the water, with the life raft missing, the battery dead, and blood in the back of the boat.

The Coast Guard found Kirby Archer and Guillermo Zarabozo, who had chartered the boat, floating in the life raft nearby. They claimed that the boat had been hijacked by Cuban pirates, and that they had been set free. However, this story quickly unraveled as investigators discovered that Archer was a fugitive from Arkansas, facing charges of child molestation and theft. He had also previously worked at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, and investigators suspected that he had chartered the boat to flee to Cuba and escape prosecution.

Archer later admitted to hijacking the Joe Cool and participating in the murders of the crew, including his nephew Jake Branam. He was sentenced to five consecutive life terms in prison. Zarabozo was also found guilty of murder and received a similar sentence, despite his claims that he had no knowledge of Archer's plans.

The boat was named after Jake Branam's father

The Joe Cool was a 47-foot Miami-based fishing charter boat. It was purchased by Jake Branam, who named it after his father. Branam was a natural water person and loved spending time on the water with his half-brother Scott. He dreamed of starting an upscale charter boat company and went into business with his cousin Jonathan, brother Scott, and friend Sam Kairy.

On September 22, 2007, Jake left for a job with Sam, Scott, and his wife, Kelley, who joined the trip to the Bahamas to spend time with Jake. Kelley was afraid of the water and didn't usually spend time on the boat. Jonathan had to stay back to prepare for their next trip. The four of them were due back in the morning, but they never arrived. Jonathan called the Coast Guard to report the overdue vessel, and the search began.

The Joe Cool was soon found abandoned in the water, with the life raft missing, the battery dead, and blood in the back of the boat. The life raft was discovered a few hours later, with two men on board: Kirby Archer and Guillermo Zarabozo. They claimed to have been hijacked by Cuban pirates, but their story soon fell apart, and they were arrested. Archer and Zarabozo were later convicted of murdering Jake Branam, his wife Kelley, and crew members Scott Gamble and Samuel Kairy.

The Joe Cool was hijacked by passengers Kirby Logan Archer and Guillermo Zarabozo

The Joe Cool was a 47-foot Miami-based fishing charter vessel. On September 22, 2007, it was hijacked by passengers Kirby Logan Archer and Guillermo Zarabozo, who had chartered the boat, asking to be transported to Bimini in the Bahamas.

Archer and Zarabozo were later found adrift in the vessel's lifeboat—with their luggage—near the deserted Joe Cool. There was no sign of the crew: Jake Branam, Kelley Branam, Scott Gamble, and Samuel Kairy. Initially, the two men claimed that the boat had been hijacked by Cuban pirates, who had killed the crew and let them go. However, investigators soon suspected that Archer, who was facing child molestation and theft charges in Arkansas, had chartered the vessel in order to flee to Cuba, Zarabozo's native country.

Archer and Zarabozo were formally charged with the murders of the four crew members during the hijacking of the Joe Cool on October 10, 2007. In July 2008, Archer pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, robbery, kidnapping, and hijacking. By pleading guilty, he avoided a possible death sentence and was sentenced to five consecutive life terms in prison. Zarabozo, meanwhile, maintained that he had taken no part in the murders and that he had been tricked by Archer. At his first trial, the jury deadlocked on the piracy and murder counts. However, at his retrial, he was found guilty on four murder charges and given five life sentences plus 85 years.

Archer and Zarabozo were sentenced to five consecutive life terms

The Joe Cool was a 47-foot Miami-based fishing charter vessel. On September 22, 2007, it was hijacked by two passengers, Kirby Logan Archer and Guillermo Zarabozo, who had chartered the boat under the guise of visiting their girlfriends in Bimini. The boat was later found deserted, with all four crew members missing. Archer and Zarabozo were found in a life raft nearby, claiming that the boat had been attacked by Cuban pirates. However, investigators soon discovered that Archer had actually chartered the vessel to flee to Cuba and escape child molestation and theft charges in Arkansas.

Archer and Zarabozo were charged with the murders of the four crew members: Jake Branam, Kelley Branam, Scott Gamble, and Samuel Kairy. Archer pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, robbery, kidnapping, and hijacking, and was sentenced to five consecutive life terms in prison. By pleading guilty, he avoided a possible death sentence.

Zarabozo, on the other hand, maintained his innocence, claiming that he had no knowledge of Archer's plans. He was initially found guilty of firearms violations, with the jury deadlocking on the piracy and murder counts. At his retrial, he was found guilty of four murder charges and given five life sentences plus 85 years.

In judicial practice, consecutive life sentences are imposed to ensure that a convicted felon will never be released from prison. This is a common punishment for defendants convicted of multiple murders in the United States. By receiving five consecutive life terms, Archer and Zarabozo will serve a minimum term for each life sentence before becoming eligible for parole, resulting in a life-without-parole sentence.

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