The body of a man who had been reported missing while paddleboarding in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, was reportedly found yards from former President Barack Obama’s home.
The Martha’s Vineyard Times reports first responders were dispatched to the Obamas’ mansion off Edgartown Great Pond on Sunday night. Massachusetts State Police divers recovered the body of the 43-year-old Black man in approximately eight-foot-deep waters, about 100 feet away from shore, and retrieved it shortly before 10 a.m. on Monday. It was later revealed that the man was Obama’s personal chef, Tafari Campbell.
Because of the proximity of the discovery of the body, the discovery turned into political banter on social media. It has prompted conspiracy theories about the man’s death and possible ties to the former president. Others have criticized Obama for purchasing the home near water despite vowing to combat climate change during his presidency.
“Conspiracy theories are tiring. A man lost his life here, and there were witnesses who saw the man go under,” Twitter influencer Ed Krassenstein wrote in a tweet on Monday. “Anyone who tries to point a finger at Obama or even insinuate that he could have had anything to do with this is being disingenuous and disrespectful of this man’s life.”
The Obamas purchased the $11.75 million 6,892-square-foot waterfront house in 2020.
The 6,892-square-foot house sits on nearly 30 secluded acres fronting the Edgartown Great Pond between Slough Cove and Turkeyland Cove, with views of the Atlantic Ocean. The house features seven bedrooms and eight and a half baths and offers direct access to the pond, and includes a boat house and a private beachfront with deeded rights, according to Home & Gardens.
Martha’s Vineyard has been an annual holiday spot for the Obama family since their time in the White House, reports show.
Campbell, the former White House sous chef, was renowned for being one of the…
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