Murder on the High Seas
🎧 **EPISODE UPDATED - January 2026**
We've revisited the Joe Cool murders with updated details and a deeper dive into what happened that tragic day. Listen to our latest episode below!
It was supposed to be a routine fishing charter. Four experienced crew members, a beautiful September day off the coast of Miami, and two paying customers looking for a day on the water.
But the customers weren't fishermen. They were killers.
On September 22, 2007, the yacht Joe Cool left a Miami marina with six people aboard. Only two would survive—and they were the ones who committed the murders.
This is the story of the Joe Cool murders: a case of desperation, greed, and cold-blooded murder on the high seas.
The Crew of the Joe Cool
The Joe Cool was a 47-foot fishing yacht captained by Jake Branam, a 27-year-old experienced charter captain who loved the ocean. His wife, Kelley Branam, worked alongside him as first mate. Together, they ran a successful charter business and were known for their professionalism and friendly demeanor.
Also aboard were two crew members:
•Scott Gamble, 35, an experienced deckhand
•Samuel Kairy, 27, another crew member
The four of them had worked together many times before. They knew the waters around Miami and The Bahamas like the back of their hands. They were prepared for anything the ocean could throw at them.
But they weren't prepared for what was about to happen.
The Two Passengers
On September 22, 2007, two men booked a fishing charter on the Joe Cool:
Kirby Archer, 35, and Guillermo Zarabozo, 19.
On the surface, they seemed like ordinary customers. But they had no interest in fishing.
Kirby and Guillermo had hatched a desperate plan: steal a boat and flee to Cuba.
Kirby, a former security guard, was deep in debt and facing legal troubles. Guillermo, a teenager from Arkansas, had been lured into the scheme with promises of a new life in Cuba. Together, they recruited a third man—Carlos—to help them pull off the heist.
Their plan was simple: board a charter boat, overpower the crew, steal the vessel, stop in The Bahamas to refuel, and then head to Cuba where they believed they could start over.
But things didn't go according to plan.
What Happened on the Joe Cool?
The exact details of what happened aboard the Joe Cool may never be fully known. The bodies of Jake, Kelley, Scott, and Samuel were never recovered.
But investigators pieced together the following timeline:
September 22, 2007:
•The Joe Cool departs Miami with six people aboard
•Somewhere off the coast of Florida, Kirby, Guillermo, and Carlos overpower the crew
•The four crew members are murdered—likely shot—and their bodies are thrown overboard
•The killers take control of the boat and head toward The Bahamas
September 23, 2007:
•The Joe Cool is found drifting near The Bahamas
•Kirby and Guillermo are discovered in a life raft, claiming they were attacked by armed men who killed the crew and stole the boat
•The Coast Guard rescues them and brings them aboard for questioning
September 24-27, 2007:
•Massive search efforts are launched for the four missing crew members
•Searches are conducted by air, sea, and on dozens of uninhabited islands in The Bahamas
•No bodies are found
•Investigators begin to suspect Kirby and Guillermo's story doesn't add up
The Lies Unravel
From the moment they were rescued, Kirby and Guillermo told a wild story:
They claimed that shortly after leaving Miami, the Joe Cool was boarded by armed men who attacked the crew, killed them, and threw their bodies overboard. They said the attackers then forced them into a life raft and set them adrift.
But the FBI wasn't buying it.
Red flags immediately emerged:
1.No evidence of other attackers - There was no sign of another boat, no witnesses, no physical evidence of anyone else being involved
2.Their story kept changing - Kirby and Guillermo gave conflicting accounts of what happened
3.They had no injuries - If they'd been attacked and forced into a life raft, why weren't they hurt?
4.The boat was found nearby - If attackers had stolen the Joe Cool, why was it found drifting so close to where they were rescued?
5.Financial motive - Investigators discovered Kirby was in serious debt and had been researching how to flee to Cuba
Within days, the FBI had enough evidence to charge both men with murder.
The Third Man
What happened to Carlos, the third man who was supposed to help steal the boat?
Investigators believe Carlos may have also been killed by Kirby and Guillermo—possibly because he had second thoughts about the plan, or because they wanted to eliminate witnesses.
Carlos's body, like the four crew members, was never found.
The Trial and Conviction
Kirby Archer and Guillermo Zarabozo were both charged with four counts of murder on the high seas, as well as other federal charges.
Kirby Archer:
•Pleaded guilty to four counts of murder
•Sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole
•Currently serving his sentence in federal prison
Guillermo Zarabozo:
•Went to trial in 2010
•Convicted of four counts of murder on the high seas
•Sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole
•Currently serving his sentence in federal prison
Both men will spend the rest of their lives behind bars.
The Families Left Behind
The families of Jake, Kelley, Scott, and Samuel were devastated—not only by the murders, but by the fact that their loved ones' bodies were never recovered.
Without bodies to bury, the families were denied the closure that comes with a proper funeral. The ocean became their loved ones' final resting place.
Jake's family described him as a man who loved the sea and lived for adventure. Kelley was remembered as a loving wife and dedicated crew member. Scott and Samuel were both experienced sailors who had spent years working on the water.
All four were taken far too soon, victims of a senseless crime driven by greed and desperation.
Why This Case Matters
The Joe Cool murders exposed a terrifying vulnerability: charter boat crews are often alone on the open ocean with strangers, with no way to call for help if something goes wrong.
After this case, many charter companies implemented new safety protocols:
•Background checks on customers
•Check-in systems with shore-based contacts
•Emergency communication devices
•Crew training on how to handle dangerous situations
But the reality is that charter crews still face risks every time they take strangers out on the water.
The Unanswered Questions
Despite the convictions, many questions remain:
•What exactly happened on the boat? Only Kirby and Guillermo know the full truth, and they've never given a complete account.
•Where are the bodies? The ocean is vast, and the bodies of Jake, Kelley, Scott, Samuel, and possibly Carlos may never be found.
•Could this have been prevented? Were there warning signs that Kirby and Guillermo were dangerous?
Listen to the Full Episode
We dive deep into the Joe Cool murders in our latest Florida Files episode, covering:
•The backgrounds of the victims and the killers
•How the plan to steal the boat was hatched
•The timeline of events on September 22-23, 2007
•How the FBI unraveled Kirby and Guillermo's lies
•The trial and conviction
•The impact on the families
Sources:
1 https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/news/stories/2009/february/joecool_022609
2 https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/
3 http://www.thebahamasweekly.com/publish/news/U_S_Coast_Guard_searching_for_Four_Missing_Boaters_headed_for_Bimini_Islands_printer.shtml
4 https://www.newsweek.com/lost-sea-ghost-ship-story-100763
5 https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-2007-09-29-0709280710-story.html
6 http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2007/images/09/26/kirby.archer.complaint.pdf
7 https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca11/09-12471/200912471-2011-02-28.html
8 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-flsd-1_07-cr-20839/pdf/USCOURTS-flsd-1_07-cr-20839-11.pdf
9 https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/usedtobedoe/kairy-samuel-9-23-2007-fl-t13113.html
10 https://web.archive.org/web/20081015203543/http://cbs4.com/local/joe.cool.auction.2.
