Dominican Republic - American tourists found dead in resorts, same cause of death, 2018/2019

[PrairieWind]

I would hope a very thorough investigation. I would hate to think the DR would cover something up to not scare away tourists but unfortunately they may try, tourism is their life line for most parts.

You don't know about the skill of investigators and pathologists etc. And the culture. The resort folks and tourism dependent businesses wouldn't want bad publicity. But at the same time, as a potential tourist, I'd feel a lot better if they identified that problem and fixed it, rather than just have things go quiet.

 

[Hatfield]

You don't know about the skill of investigators and pathologists etc. And the culture. The resort folks and tourism dependent businesses wouldn't want bad publicity. But at the same time, as a potential tourist, I'd feel a lot better if they identified that problem and fixed it, rather than just have things go quiet.

That is the thing that I have never understood with vacation destinations wanting to downplay incidents.

It seems to me that if they were just totally honest and prove themselves by investigating, solving, and charging any guilty parties with crimes or huge fines, that would do more to help tourists be comfortable they are doing things to prevent this sort of thing.

When they hush it up and downplay things all that does is give me more reason not to want to ever travel there.

 

[PrairieWind]

That is the thing that I have never understood with vacation destinations wanting to downplay incidents.

It seems to me that if they were just totally honest and prove themselves by investigating, solving, and charging any guilty parties with crimes or huge fines, that would do more to help tourists be comfortable they are doing things to prevent this sort of thing.

When they hush it up and downplay things all that does is give me more reason not to want to ever travel there.

I completely agree. I think sometimes it has a lot to do with the local culture. In many places, things like that are just covered up. They don't understand the "transparency" concept and just live with accidents/injury/death because its just part of life. Even if the resort owners and managers are US or UK or others, they may not want to upset the locals by accusing someone local of a crime or negligence for fear of retribution. They are probably required to hire local and don't want disgruntled employees.

 

[Hatfield]

I completely agree. I think sometimes it has a lot to do with the local culture. In many places, things like that are just covered up. They don't understand the "transparency" concept and just live with accident's/injury/death because its just part of live. Even if the resort owners and managers are US or UK or others, they may not want to upset the locals by accusing someone local of a crime or negligence for fear of retribution. They are probably required to hire local and don't want disgruntled employees.

Very good point about the cultures and traditions of an area. That does play a huge part in how a city/government will react to something like this.

If in years past things are always swept under a rug with sometimes a little bribery money to keep things quiet, then that is likely how things will continue for a specific area.

If anyone has ever moved to a place that has different cultures and customs, then you realize very quickly that you are not going to get anyone to change to your ways. Its the other way around and you find yourself beginning to adapt to some of the local customs and you even begin to take on some of them as your own.

 

[PrairieWind]

Very good point about the cultures and traditions of an area. That does play a huge part in how a city/government will react to something like this.

If in years past things are always swept under a rug with sometimes a little bribery money to keep things quiet, then that is likely how things will continue for a specific area.

If anyone has ever moved to a place that has different cultures and customs, then you realize very quickly that you are not going to get anyone to change to your ways. Its the other way around and you find yourself beginning to adapt to some of the local customs and you even begin to take on some of them as your own.

That is exactly true. When I was a kid I had an aunt/uncle that moved to Central America and bought a little hotel. The stories they would tell later were amazing. Sometimes they were hilarious and sometimes they were tragic. But they eventually had to learn how to do things within the confines of that culture.

 

[PrairieWind]

On holiday in Mexico, our resort had a rack and pour liquor dispenser in the mini bar.

I have been to a couple all inclusive resorts where they had full bottles of rum, scotch, tequila, vodka in each room. They were not sealed. They just kept topping them off every day or every other day. So who knows what was actually in them. Back then I didn't really think too much of it. But now, I wouldn't drink anything that was from a sealed bottle.

 

[Momof4RN]

You may be on to something. I hope they treated both rooms like a crime scene to preserve potential evidence but I fear you are correct, that the couple's drink containers are gone.

The alcoholic drink was indeed from the mini bar...

Pennsylvania Woman Died at Same Dominican Republic Hotel 5 Days Before Engaged Couple Was Found Dead

The above article also states they had just checked into the hotel. So it does sound like whatever she drank in that minibar was contaminated, whether purposely or not. Either that, or the timing is just a coincidence. Article said she took a selfie soon before dying... Usually people don't take selfies when they're feeling gravely ill, so I assume she was feeling fine at that point. Whatever happened, it killed her very quickly.

ETA quote from above article:

"As they were getting situated in their hotel room, McDonald said Miranda 'decided to relax with a drink from the minibar' and mixed a bottle of alcohol with a soda. But less than an hour later, things took a turn for the worst.

"'Suddenly, she called out to Dan and he came right over and she was unable to breathe. She collapsed, she couldn’t communicate,' he recalled to Fox News. 'He did his best to try and resuscitate, to help her'...

“'It was very sudden,' he noted. '[Daniel] said one moment [Miranda was] taking pictures, smiling, happy and the next moment, in extreme pain and collapsing… she had no known health issues that I knew of.'"

I actually hope they removed all alcoholic beverages from all the rooms. If there r 2 rooms with tainted bottles than the likelihood of more rooms being at risk are high.

 

[Momof4RN]

But let’s say the other couple dying is a coincidence. What if Miranda had a clot form during her travel and suffered from a pulmonary embolism?

 

[Momof4RN]

This case is being discussed on another thread. I wish they would merge the 2. I’m also suspicious of the bottles in the room but also am wondering if perhaps she suffered a clot during her travel and had an acute pulmonary embolism.

 

[dotr]

This case is being discussed on another thread. I wish they would merge the 2. I’m also suspicious of the bottles in the room but also am wondering if perhaps she suffered a clot during her travel and had an acute pulmonary embolism.

Had purposely added new threads in a humble attempt at organization, lol.
This case also discussed on these threads..
Delaware woman, Tammy Lawrence-Daley, beaten, left for dead at Dominican resort

Found Deceased - Dominican Republic - Orlando Moore & Portia Ravenelle, from NY on vacation, April 2019

Sudden deaths of Maryland couple,Cynthia Day &Nathaniel Holmes, D.Republic resort,30 May 2019

 

[Momof4RN]

And this one

Dominican Republic: Three found dead in same resort with same cause of death

 

[dotr]

And this one

Dominican Republic: Three found dead in same resort with same cause of death

Did not even see that one, thanks!

 

[Really?]

This case is being discussed on another thread. I wish they would merge the 2. I’m also suspicious of the bottles in the room but also am wondering if perhaps she suffered a clot during her travel and had an acute pulmonary embolism.

That’s what I was wondering tonight. With the squeezed in economy seats now, are the airlines at fault ?

 

[borndem]

Alcohol tainted with cyanide possibly.

Cyanide was my first thought -- from what little I know, and from an article I just read, it sounds like it could be possible with the scenario here, but I am no medical source by a long shot.
Hoping @Hell0000nurse will set me straight if cyanide wouldn't apply -- or how it might be possible...

More info:
Cyanide Poisoning Treatment, Symptoms & Effects

 

[borndem]

This case is being discussed on another thread. I wish they would merge the 2. I’m also suspicious of the bottles in the room but also am wondering if perhaps she suffered a clot during her travel and had an acute pulmonary embolism.

Heartily agree -- in fact, I'd like to see all three threads combined if not too much trouble for the Mods.

 

[borndem]

My daughter and her husband had their honeymoon at Rui Palace in Punta Cana last fall, and I hope they never go back. I worried the whole time and this stuff hadn't even happened yet. It sounds like it has to be some kind of poison, doesn't it? Someone might be tampering with the drinks or something.

bbm
Or putting it in food to randomly affect whoever orders the wrong thing.
How easy is it to obtain cyanide? (Cyanide is my uneducated guess/theory at present...)

 

[LaborDayRN]

This case is being discussed on another thread. I wish they would merge the 2. I’m also suspicious of the bottles in the room but also am wondering if perhaps she suffered a clot during her travel and had an acute pulmonary embolism.

I'm thinking the same.....a blood clot causing pulmonary embolism. Her husband reports she had a heart condition. Has anyone heard what that condition is?

 

[alexwood]

I'm thinking the same.....a blood clot causing pulmonary embolism. Her husband reports she had a heart condition. Has anyone heard what that condition is?

Inflammation around the heart . . . 15 years ago.

"McDonald said that Schaup had been diagnosed with inflammation around the heart 15 years ago, and sought treatment for it, but that she was cleared medically afterward. He said it seemed the hotel and others were trying to mislead the public about what caused Schaup's death."

Pennsylvania woman died at same Dominican resort complex five days before Maryland couple in similar circumstances

 

[Hell0000nurse]

I'm thinking the same.....a blood clot causing pulmonary embolism. Her husband reports she had a heart condition. Has anyone heard what that condition is?

I considered pulmonary embolism too though I thought they would have been able to see that on autopsy but I’m sure they can be missed sometimes. Just strange with the couple dying 5 days after her with pulmonary edema too.

 

[Hell0000nurse]

I considered pulmonary embolism too though I thought they would have been able to see that on autopsy but I’m sure they can be missed sometimes. Just strange with the couple dying 5 days after her with pulmonary edema too.

Replying to myself to add- her symptoms and death was so sudden though a Pulmonary embolism really would fit.