Mexico - Arlington TX Firefighter Elijah Snow, wed anniversary found dead at Cancun resort, Jul 2021

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TDoc72 said:
Both the video and article say you could take the over the Boulder way or a different way (I think they mentioned the lobby.) I don’t know what he did to get to the window. The journalist did it with being caught which I found interesting. IMO he was drunk, wandering around & at some point tried to get back to the hotel which turned out to not be his. I just posted what I think happened, based on what I’ve read. Just my own theory. No one really knows.
The surveillance tape would be interesting to see. I do hope the family gets the surveillance tape although I think they would still have questions. I don’t think they’ll ever know and I hope they find peace at some point. I don’t understand why they cremated the body if they didn’t believe what the Mexican authorities say or the cause of death. Toxicology would’ve been helpful here.
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Thanks for your input. I still have to question it though, due to the difficulty required to reach a somewhat hidden, out of the way window, and in unfamiliar surroundings.... as well as the pathologist who also questions the bruising and injuries all over his body. Again, I’ll reference that report.

Death of Texas Man at Cancun Resort Ruled an Accident But Family Says Post-Mortem Photos Raise More Questions

But post-mortem photos shared by the family with Inside Edition showed Elijah suffered multiple large bruises and cuts to his back, legs and head.

“His body does have signs of violence,” pathologist and author Dr. Judy Melinek, who examined the photos, told Inside Edition.

“If the chest and abdominal compression from the window doesn't match up with the bruises on the legs or the injury on the head, then we need another explanation for those injuries,” Melinek said.
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TDoc72 said:
I don’t understand why they cremated the body if they didn’t believe what the Mexican authorities say or the cause of death. Toxicology would’ve been helpful here.
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IIRC, it was apparently his wife who approved cremation of the body: at any rate, that would be her decision alone.

It may be different members of the family who are refusing to accept the police explanation. His wife isn't the one appearing in the news. Possibly she had an easier time accepting the 'accident while intoxicated' explanation. Because spouses sometimes know the reality that is being hidden from other family and friends.

Just speculation.

I do know from personal experience, that when someone close to you dies, it is not the time to start explaining to other people what kinds of problems they had that may have lead to their death. For example: 'I kept telling him he'd have a heart attack if he kept up his lifestyle, but he woudn't listen!' No, you respect the dead and you respect other people's grieving process, and just grieve your own loss.

MOO
 
neesaki said:
I continue to question that this man’s death was merely accidental. His family knows him better than anyone, and we know him not at all. I really think it’s unfair to him and to the family, to so casually accept that it was nothing but a drunken misadventure accident, when his body shows signs of being physically beaten.
Not to mention, there are travel warnings for Mexico including Cancun, obviously for a reason. And, aren’t his family members considered victims as well ?

Considering the physical evidence shown, I personally believe that jumping to the conclusion he was so drunk he did this to himself is really disrespectful, not only to the deceased victim, but to the family as well. JMO

Moving on, I Don’t recall seeing this article posted here before.
Death of Texas Man at Cancun Resort Ruled an Accident But Family Says Post-Mortem Photos Raise More Questions

SBM from article:
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I agree! Something is very wrong. It's a shame and surprising that they don't have his body anymore.
This is so sad and I hope his family gets justice.
 
His wife knows him well and was one of the last people to see/interact with him alive. If she suspected anything other than an accidental death, wouldn't she have ordered a 2nd autopy rather than swiftly cremated his remains? Sounds to me like she felt confident it was an accident. From the photos I saw, the bruising looked minimal and easily explained by his struggling in the window. If he were really beaten up by some violent crooks I'd expect to see much more severe injuries.
 
scriabina said:
His wife knows him well and was one of the last people to see/interact with him alive. If she suspected anything other than an accidental death, wouldn't she have ordered a 2nd autopy rather than swiftly cremated his remains? Sounds to me like she felt confident it was an accident. From the photos I saw, the bruising looked minimal and easily explained by his struggling in the window. If he were really beaten up by some violent crooks I'd expect to see much more severe injuries.
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My father passed away this past March, at 61 years old - very unexpectedly. The drs had a ‘best guess’ on what specifically took him given the circumstances leading up to it. My siblings and I were in charge of his arrangements, etc. We discussed having an autopsy just to have solid piece of mind that was truly cod. The funeral director said that can cost up to $10,000 and we would be responsible for that cost. If the authorities questioned a potential criminal cause of death - then the costs are picked up elsewhere (state?). He never planned for his passing in any way, shape, or form. Nothing but debt left behind, no assets, or insurance. Cremation and the funeral service alone was over $5,000 that we have to make payments on. It is what it is.

My point being, his wife may have been in a similar circumstance. Authorities already deemed it accidental so I’m not certain a 2nd autopsy would be paid for by anyone but her/family. Cremation is the least expensive. Horrible situation to be in while mourning the loss and trying to comprehend what exactly happened. The world keeps spinning though and often these decisions (funeral arrangements) are thrust on you so quickly.

moo
 
Mistyjks said:
My father passed away this past March, at 61 years old - very unexpectedly...The funeral director said that can cost up to $10,000 and we would be responsible for that cost...My point being, his wife may have been in a similar circumstance.
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First of all, I'm very sorry about your father. It must have been that much harder not getting any closure regarding his COD.

I can certainly see how an autopsy's expense could be cost-prohibitive for many.

Just speculation, but I would guess that a firefighter with children like Elijah would have gotten good life insurance so his family would be covered in the event that he perished in a fire. I think most life insurance policies include accidental death, and since his is ruled accidental, his family would receive the payout. On the other hand, had his cause of death been contested, this could have delayed payout from his (assumed) life insurance policy.
 
scriabina said:
First of all, I'm very sorry about your father. It must have been that much harder not getting any closure regarding his COD.

I can certainly see how an autopsy's expense could be cost-prohibitive for many.

Just speculation, but I would guess that a firefighter with children like Elijah would have gotten good life insurance so his family would be covered in the event that he perished in a fire. I think most life insurance policies include accidental death, and since his is ruled accidental, his family would receive the payout. On the other hand, had his cause of death been contested, this could have delayed payout from his (assumed) life insurance policy.
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I don’t think insurance would be an issue here: homicide and suicide are both covered by most policies. (Exceptions: slayer statutes and there’s typically a 2yr waiting period for suicide). JMO. (I’m not suggesting suicide).
 
what happened from the time his wife left him till he was found? where did he go? who did he talk to? did he get robbed of his cash or buy drinks? i saw he was really drunk but drug tox came back clean. this could go either way. i honestly thought by now we would at least know his last movement. i guess it's an accidental death so without a private investigator or an open LE investigation no one is checking?
 
I'd find it weird if they skipped the 2nd autopsy, cremated him, and then hired a PI.

If the family cannot pay for a 2nd autopsy then I assume they also cannot afford to hire a PI.

A 2nd autopsy could've helped the family determine if hiring a PI was warranted. If they could only afford one, I feel like the 2nd autopsy had the potential to yield more illuminating results than a PI.

If they do have the funds but opted against 2nd autopsy anyway, then they probably believe his death was accidental.

Whichever the case, I'm guessing we won't be getting much more concrete information.
 
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scriabina said:
His wife knows him well and was one of the last people to see/interact with him alive. If she suspected anything other than an accidental death, wouldn't she have ordered a 2nd autopy rather than swiftly cremated his remains? Sounds to me like she felt confident it was an accident. From the photos I saw, the bruising looked minimal and easily explained by his struggling in the window. If he were really beaten up by some violent crooks I'd expect to see much more severe injuries.
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Confident isn't the word I would use, but I suppose it doesn't matter with the death being in another country and the cremation a done deal.
It's just sad all around, and unfortunate the rest of the family will most likely not get the answers they seek.
 
In my opinion, it doesn't really matter what she says now. There isn't any way to prove or disprove murder. She had him cremated. Why go on TV? Is this her 15 minutes of fame? Has the rest of the family's questions and accusations persuaded her something nefarious occurred? As far as any sort of "justice" for her husband, this is now simply a talking point. Nothing can be done. I am sorry she feels like she has to do this. I am sorry there is no other recourse. The Dr. Phil Show is exploiting her grief. (again my opinion)
 
I think it's very possible that there is nothing more to it than a tragic, drunken freak accident in unexplained circumstances (caught in the window frame of a neighboring resort's employee restroom), with decisions then needing to be made in a time of acute grief and shock (cremation).

But if there is more to it, it could definitely still come out, especially after it airs on Dr. Phil. Someone could always come out of the woodwork with more information, who knows.
 
Catmommy said:
In my opinion, it doesn't really matter what she says now. There isn't any way to prove or disprove murder. She had him cremated. Why go on TV? Is this her 15 minutes of fame? Has the rest of the family's questions and accusations persuaded her something nefarious occurred? As far as any sort of "justice" for her husband, this is now simply a talking point. Nothing can be done. I am sorry she feels like she has to do this. I am sorry there is no other recourse. The Dr. Phil Show is exploiting her grief. (again my opinion)
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Agreed. I feel like she's embarrassed that her husband got so drunk and did something so stupid it killed him. It feels like an attempt to rewrite history and Dr Phil is always happy to swoop in on these situations. MOO, of course.
 
Ssschu said:
Agreed. I feel like she's embarrassed that her husband got so drunk and did something so stupid it killed him. It feels like an attempt to rewrite history and Dr Phil is always happy to swoop in on these situations. MOO, of course.
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I agree. Bear in mind I’m very pro-plaintiff by nature. As for Dr. Phil, well, he knows Americans love stories about firefighters and scary things in Mexico - this one has both.
 
Ssschu said:
Agreed. I feel like she's embarrassed that her husband got so drunk and did something so stupid it killed him. It feels like an attempt to rewrite history and Dr Phil is always happy to swoop in on these situations. MOO, of course.
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I hardly think that she is embarrassed. I think that she is still grieving her dead husband and father of her two young children. I actually think that she didn't know what to do when the authorities told her that the body would be delayed being sent back to the states if she chose to have a second autopsy.

I can see her feeling overwhelmed and pressured. I have no idea what it would cost and what arrangements would have to be made to get a body back to the United States and then get a second autopsy. However, I suspect that it would cost much more money than she or her relatives had.

She was in a foreign country and probably doesn't speak Spanish. She has two small kids at home. What was a planned vacation for a week turned out to be a nightmare the first night that they were in Mexico.

I have a different POV about Dr. Phil. He is nationally televised and can give victims a voice. Dr. Phil also has incredible resources and oftentimes helps his guests.

Dr. Phil covers all sorts of topics on his shows. I think that knowledge and awareness are keys to avoiding various situations and becoming a victim.

BTW - Dr. Phil doesn't drink. So, I suspect that he is going to say something about being drunk, alone at night and in a strange place can lead to a bad outcome.

JMO.
 
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The Dr. Phil show was kind of a bust imo. It was pretty much just the wife and one of their fathers/stepfathers (didn't catch which one) giving their opinions of what they think happened, based on their inexpert personal interpretations of the evidence. I had hoped for a forensics expert or for someone to come out of the woodwork with more information or... something.

One new thing though, was that the wife said the deceased husband had already made some "new friends" at the bar. (Or maybe that was already stated and I just didn't remember it). In any case, I wonder if anyone has requested that these new friends come forward because they might be able to fill in more of what all went on that night. Oh well, perhaps the publicity will bring more out, if there is anything more to be brought out.
 
SherryLock said:
The Dr. Phil show was kind of a bust imo. It was pretty much just the wife and one of their fathers/stepfathers (didn't catch which one) giving their opinions of what they think happened, based on their inexpert personal interpretations of the evidence. I had hoped for a forensics expert or for someone to come out of the woodwork with more information or... something.

One new thing though, was that the wife said the deceased husband had already made some "new friends" at the bar. (Or maybe that was already stated and I just didn't remember it). In any case, I wonder if anyone has requested that these new friends come forward because they might be able to fill in more of what all went on that night. Oh well, perhaps the publicity will bring more out, if there is anything more to be brought out.
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I forgot I recorded that. Will try to watch, though doesn’t sound like I missed much.
 
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