Dateline: Unforgettable - Sarm Heslop - A detailed case overview

Dateline: Unforgettable revisits the disappearance of Sarm Heslop in “Siren Song,” Season 3, Episode 2. The hour follows correspondent Andrea Canning as she traces the key events and interviews that shaped a case set in the U.S. Virgin Islands in March 2021.

The episode re-aired Saturday, September 6 at 8.00 am on Oxygen. Siren Song originally premiered on January 25, 2024, and Dateline: Unforgettable is available on fuboTV, NBC, and Oxygen.

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Dateline: Unforgettable recap and context

The program lays out the core facts first. Sarm Joan Lillian Heslop, a British national, had been living and working aboard the 47-foot catamaran Siren Song with boyfriend Ryan Bane near St John.

Sarm Heslop was a former flight attendant from the UK. (Image via Pexels)

After dinner ashore on March 7, 2021, she was reported missing in the early hours of March 8. Her phone, wallet, and passport were later noted as left on the boat. According to BBC News (March 2024), Bane made contact with local police during the night, and the search quickly expanded on land and sea.

The broadcast frames these points without speculation. It shows how a routine evening out became a missing-person file that drew wide attention, then anchors the narrative to records, interviews, and the on-water setting that limited early visibility.

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What Dateline: Unforgettable shows about the night aboard Siren Song

What happened between late evening and mid-morning is central to the episode. A call to the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) came at about 2.30 am, while the call to the U.S. Coast Guard came later that morning. LBC reported a roughly nine-hour gap between those contacts.

St John, U.S. Virgin Islands, where search efforts took place. (Image via pexels)

The Dateline: Unforgettable episode notes curfew rules in place at the time, the couple’s return to the mooring, and the use of an anchor alarm. These details establish a narrow window during which Heslop is said to have vanished, which is why the timeline receives so much attention.

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The search, the boat, and the questions that remain

The question of access to the vessel and formal interviews looms large. The Telegraph reported that the yacht was not forensically searched and that Bane received a citation after the Coast Guard and police were prevented from conducting a full interior search, while his lawyer has maintained he cooperated and denied any involvement.

A yacht anchored off the coast of St John, where Heslop was last seen. (Image via Unsplash)

The case was later referred to the Attorney General’s Office, which said it had not been presented with enough evidence to charge the matter criminally at that time.

Family concerns also feature. BBC News (March 2024) reported that Heslop’s mother believes her daughter was murdered. LBC described the family’s frustration with communication from local authorities and their push to classify the case differently.

The Independent detailed claims from Bane’s ex-wife about a past domestic violence conviction and recent sightings of Bane back in Michigan, while noting his continued denial of wrongdoing.

Fox News Digital reported an investigator’s claim that the boat’s freezer and other parts were later replaced in Grenada, a point raised as a question rather than a proven fact. Each of these items is presented in the episode’s wider context of requests for answers and records.

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Where Dateline: Unforgettable leaves the search now

As the episode explains, there have been no criminal charges. Per The Telegraph, the Attorney General’s Office said it had assisted the police division but did not have sufficient evidence to bring charges at the time of its statement. LBC reported that the VIPD publicly noted “no updates” earlier in 2024 while referring the matter onward.

Andrea Canning’s reporting centers on verifiable steps, the public record, and what remains unknown. Viewers see the search effort, the procedural hurdles in a maritime setting, and the family’s ongoing campaign.

People magazine also chronicled the parents’ shift from “Find Sarm” to “Justice for Sarm,” reflecting their stated belief about what may have happened, while noting that Bane’s lawyer says he is heartbroken and denies involvement.

Dateline: Unforgettable episode serves as a clear file of record. It lays out the timeline, the disputed access to the vessel, the status of interviews and referrals, and the positions of the family, investigators, and counsel. The case remains open, with appeals for information continuing through official channels.

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The Dateline: Unforgettable episode covering Heslop’s case, titled Siren Song, is part of Season 3 and can be streamed on fuboTV, NBC, and Oxygen.