DOS_patos
Unverified Legion of Trill member
It is......I don't got to la romama....but I know many locals got there.
I think someone in here said they went there.
Dominican republic news: American Couple Found Dead at Dominican Republic Resort
- Thread starter DOS_patos
- Start date
I think someone in here said they went there.
DOS_patos
Unverified Legion of Trill member
Colorado couple: We were sickened at same Dominican Republic resort where 3 Americans died
As authorities investigate the unexplained deaths of three Americans at a resort in the Dominican Republic, a Colorado couple who stayed at the same facility last year said they became violently ill after being exposed to what they suspect were insecticides spread through the air conditioning system.
Kaylynn Knull, 29, and her boyfriend Tom Schwander, 33, filed a lawsuit earlier this year against the owners of Grand Bahia Principe Hotel La Romana, blaming them for causing their sickness in June 2018.
In an interview with CNN, Knull said the recent deaths of a Maryland couple and a Pennsylvania woman within days of each other at the same Dominican Republic hotel complex made her angry and sad.
"My blood boiled. It made me want to scream. It made me want to cry," Knull said. "There's something going on. What happened to us may be related to what happened to them."
Last month, Edward Nathaniel Holmes, 63 and Cynthia Day, 49, were found unresponsive in their hotel room at the resort in La Romana. Authorities in the Dominican Republic said a preliminary autopsy found that the couple suffered respiratory failure and pulmonary edema, caused by excess lung fluid. Day also suffered a cerebral edema. Five days earlier, 41-year-old Miranda Schaup-Werner died in her room with her husband nearby. The couples checked in on the same day -- May 25.
According to the Attorney General's Office of the Dominican Republic, a preliminary autopsy on Schaup-Werner showed she suffered from a heart attack, pulmonary edema and respiratory failure. Toxicology results are pending and the deaths remain under investigation by authorities in the Dominican Republic.
Jay McDonald, a spokesman for the Schaup-Werner family, said they were working with authorities in the United States to gather more information.
"Our goal here is answers. We want to understand what happened," he said, adding that the couple was in the Dominican Republic to celebrate their ninth wedding anniversary.
A spokeswoman for the hotel would not comment on Knull and Schwander's allegations, citing the pending litigation. She said the deaths of Holmes, Day and Schaup-Werner were isolated events and that there "are no indications of any correlation between these two unfortunate incidents."
Tourism Minister Francisco Garcia sought to downplay the deaths when speaking to reporters Thursday. "In the last five years, over 30 million tourists have visited the Dominican Republic, but this is the first time the international media report such an alarming situation. ... These are isolated incidents and the Dominican Republic is a safe destination."
The recent deaths have prompted others who vacationed in the Dominican Republic to come forward with their own bad experience at the Bahia resort.
For Knull, a massage therapist, and Schwander, an ambulance director, their vacation last year was supposed to be a relaxing getaway. They said they work relentlessly during Colorado's long ski tourist season and had been "excited about some beach time" when they booked their trip to Bahia. "We'd never been out of the country together."
On the sixth day of the couple's 13-day vacation, Knull said she woke to a pounding headache. She assumed she was dehydrated, so at breakfast she drank water and tomato juice hoping that would help. It didn't.
When the couple returned to their room, they were hit with an overwhelming "chemical smell like someone had painted the walls," she said.
They looked around, trying to find the source of the smell, discovered nothing and called the front desk for help. They wondered if it was cleaning solution but it appeared that housekeeping had not visited.
While they waited for a reply from the front desk, they got a housekeeper's attention and asked her to come into the room. She walked in, waved her hand over her nose in disgust and immediately walked out, Knull said.
With still no reply from the front desk, she called several more times. Eventually a bellhop and a hotel manager arrived with what they told the couple was an "air cleaner," a contraption about the size of a space heater, Knull said.
She and her boyfriend repeatedly asked the manager to identify the source of the smell. It was difficult to communicate, she said. The couple does not speak Spanish and some employees didn't seem to understand them.
The manager, whose name Knull did not recall, upgraded the couple to a luxury room where they stayed the following night. But Knull said she began to feel worse and Schwander got sick, too. They endured intense stomach cramping and diarrhea. She had blood in her stool. His eyes wouldn't stop watering. They awoke to Schwander drooling a lot and a sweat-soaked bed.
"I had sopped his chest up (with drool)," Knull said. "I was sweating so hard my eyes were tearing. My vision was blurred. ... My head was getting dizzy."
Knull said she thought back on what she had seen days earlier: A maintenance person spraying palm plants that covered air conditioning units just outside their room.
"I wondered if someone sprayed our unit," she told CNN. "They are always constantly out there taking care of the plants. We saw them out there with bug sprayers."
The couple grew angrier as their symptoms worsened. Knull said her stomach cramps were so bad it felt like "chainsaws going through my insides."
Knull said she went to the front desk and demanded to know what was going on. "We asked for paperwork, for everything and they refused to give anything to us."
A couple days later, the couple decided to cut their vacation short and fly home at an extra cost of $600.
The flight home was painful, Knull said. When they arrived at a stopover in a New York airport, they raced to the bathroom.
On their final flight home to Denver, Knull said she was buckled over from the pain of stomach cramps.
They spent the next several days at home, drinking water and juice, and their symptoms began to ease. They were examined by their respective family doctors who, according to medical records Knull provided, suspected the couple had been exposed to organophosphates.
Organophosphates are man-made chemicals typically found in pesticides, such as ant and roach spray. It can be absorbed through the skin, inhaled or eaten. Exposure can cause increased saliva, tear production, diarrhea, nausea, sweating, confusion and other symptoms, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. About 3 million people worldwide are exposed to organophosphates every year, accounting for 300,000 deaths, the NCBI reports.
Exposure to organophosphates can cause respiratory problems or failure, said Dana Boyd Barr, an Emory University professor of exposure science and environmental health. She's studied organophosphates for 30 years.
Typically those who are poisoned by organophosphates seize or salivate excessively, she said.
Knull and Schwander's attorney, David Columna, and a Florida-based lawyer who often works with him, John Urban, told CNN that in the Dominican Republic there is no discovery process or jury trial. When a lawsuit is filed, it's up to a judge to decide when a hearing happens during which both sides present arguments. Then the judge renders a decision. It's possible the hotel could settle with the couple, Urban said.
Knull became emotional this week reflecting on the people who have died. More than winning the suit, she said she wants to know what made them sick.
"Maybe that will help them," she said. "If talking about what happened to us helps find out what happened to those people -- God bless their families. They deserve answers."
As authorities investigate the unexplained deaths of three Americans at a resort in the Dominican Republic, a Colorado couple who stayed at the same facility last year said they became violently ill after being exposed to what they suspect were insecticides spread through the air conditioning system.
Kaylynn Knull, 29, and her boyfriend Tom Schwander, 33, filed a lawsuit earlier this year against the owners of Grand Bahia Principe Hotel La Romana, blaming them for causing their sickness in June 2018.
In an interview with CNN, Knull said the recent deaths of a Maryland couple and a Pennsylvania woman within days of each other at the same Dominican Republic hotel complex made her angry and sad.
"My blood boiled. It made me want to scream. It made me want to cry," Knull said. "There's something going on. What happened to us may be related to what happened to them."
Last month, Edward Nathaniel Holmes, 63 and Cynthia Day, 49, were found unresponsive in their hotel room at the resort in La Romana. Authorities in the Dominican Republic said a preliminary autopsy found that the couple suffered respiratory failure and pulmonary edema, caused by excess lung fluid. Day also suffered a cerebral edema. Five days earlier, 41-year-old Miranda Schaup-Werner died in her room with her husband nearby. The couples checked in on the same day -- May 25.
According to the Attorney General's Office of the Dominican Republic, a preliminary autopsy on Schaup-Werner showed she suffered from a heart attack, pulmonary edema and respiratory failure. Toxicology results are pending and the deaths remain under investigation by authorities in the Dominican Republic.
Jay McDonald, a spokesman for the Schaup-Werner family, said they were working with authorities in the United States to gather more information.
"Our goal here is answers. We want to understand what happened," he said, adding that the couple was in the Dominican Republic to celebrate their ninth wedding anniversary.
A spokeswoman for the hotel would not comment on Knull and Schwander's allegations, citing the pending litigation. She said the deaths of Holmes, Day and Schaup-Werner were isolated events and that there "are no indications of any correlation between these two unfortunate incidents."
Tourism Minister Francisco Garcia sought to downplay the deaths when speaking to reporters Thursday. "In the last five years, over 30 million tourists have visited the Dominican Republic, but this is the first time the international media report such an alarming situation. ... These are isolated incidents and the Dominican Republic is a safe destination."
The recent deaths have prompted others who vacationed in the Dominican Republic to come forward with their own bad experience at the Bahia resort.
For Knull, a massage therapist, and Schwander, an ambulance director, their vacation last year was supposed to be a relaxing getaway. They said they work relentlessly during Colorado's long ski tourist season and had been "excited about some beach time" when they booked their trip to Bahia. "We'd never been out of the country together."
On the sixth day of the couple's 13-day vacation, Knull said she woke to a pounding headache. She assumed she was dehydrated, so at breakfast she drank water and tomato juice hoping that would help. It didn't.
When the couple returned to their room, they were hit with an overwhelming "chemical smell like someone had painted the walls," she said.
They looked around, trying to find the source of the smell, discovered nothing and called the front desk for help. They wondered if it was cleaning solution but it appeared that housekeeping had not visited.
While they waited for a reply from the front desk, they got a housekeeper's attention and asked her to come into the room. She walked in, waved her hand over her nose in disgust and immediately walked out, Knull said.
With still no reply from the front desk, she called several more times. Eventually a bellhop and a hotel manager arrived with what they told the couple was an "air cleaner," a contraption about the size of a space heater, Knull said.
She and her boyfriend repeatedly asked the manager to identify the source of the smell. It was difficult to communicate, she said. The couple does not speak Spanish and some employees didn't seem to understand them.
The manager, whose name Knull did not recall, upgraded the couple to a luxury room where they stayed the following night. But Knull said she began to feel worse and Schwander got sick, too. They endured intense stomach cramping and diarrhea. She had blood in her stool. His eyes wouldn't stop watering. They awoke to Schwander drooling a lot and a sweat-soaked bed.
"I had sopped his chest up (with drool)," Knull said. "I was sweating so hard my eyes were tearing. My vision was blurred. ... My head was getting dizzy."
Knull said she thought back on what she had seen days earlier: A maintenance person spraying palm plants that covered air conditioning units just outside their room.
"I wondered if someone sprayed our unit," she told CNN. "They are always constantly out there taking care of the plants. We saw them out there with bug sprayers."
The couple grew angrier as their symptoms worsened. Knull said her stomach cramps were so bad it felt like "chainsaws going through my insides."
Knull said she went to the front desk and demanded to know what was going on. "We asked for paperwork, for everything and they refused to give anything to us."
A couple days later, the couple decided to cut their vacation short and fly home at an extra cost of $600.
The flight home was painful, Knull said. When they arrived at a stopover in a New York airport, they raced to the bathroom.
On their final flight home to Denver, Knull said she was buckled over from the pain of stomach cramps.
They spent the next several days at home, drinking water and juice, and their symptoms began to ease. They were examined by their respective family doctors who, according to medical records Knull provided, suspected the couple had been exposed to organophosphates.
Organophosphates are man-made chemicals typically found in pesticides, such as ant and roach spray. It can be absorbed through the skin, inhaled or eaten. Exposure can cause increased saliva, tear production, diarrhea, nausea, sweating, confusion and other symptoms, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. About 3 million people worldwide are exposed to organophosphates every year, accounting for 300,000 deaths, the NCBI reports.
Exposure to organophosphates can cause respiratory problems or failure, said Dana Boyd Barr, an Emory University professor of exposure science and environmental health. She's studied organophosphates for 30 years.
Typically those who are poisoned by organophosphates seize or salivate excessively, she said.
Knull and Schwander's attorney, David Columna, and a Florida-based lawyer who often works with him, John Urban, told CNN that in the Dominican Republic there is no discovery process or jury trial. When a lawsuit is filed, it's up to a judge to decide when a hearing happens during which both sides present arguments. Then the judge renders a decision. It's possible the hotel could settle with the couple, Urban said.
Knull became emotional this week reflecting on the people who have died. More than winning the suit, she said she wants to know what made them sick.
"Maybe that will help them," she said. "If talking about what happened to us helps find out what happened to those people -- God bless their families. They deserve answers."
DOS_patos
Unverified Legion of Trill member
Woman, Elda Shepherd, Wakes Up To Man In Her Room, Attacks Him at Dominican Republic Resort, Social Media Jumps In To Help
A woman allegedly woke up to an intruder in her hotel room at the Breathless Punta Cana Resort and Spa in the Dominican Republic.
This story follows after recent travel news on the deaths of 3 different people who stayed at the Dominican Republic hotel named Bahia Principe Hotel in La Romana who died five days apart last month.
Reports like this are putting a lot of people on edge about traveling to the Dominican Republic and other destinations and this story may put even more people on alert while traveling.
A woman by the name of Elda Shepherd took to social media about what happened to her while staying at Breathless Punta Cana Resort & Spa and what was currently going on as it was happening. Shepherd’s post got social media into action with friends, family and strangers participating to make sure she was safe.
It is believed that Elda Shepherd traveled with a group through World Class Global Connect LLC travel agency however, traveled without a companion therefore booking her room as a single occupant.
According to the account by Elda Shepherd, she had returned to her room after being out and decided to relax with a drink and take a dip in the hot tub. Shepherd says she went to the front desk to get assistance with the hot tub and an employee was sent and got it started and left.
After this, Shepherd stated that she went to bed about 11’ish and at around 2AM she woke up to the guy who had fixed the hot tub in her room as she laid naked.
The man was stated to have not spoken English and instead used his phone to ask her, “Why are you alone, you don’t want company?”
It seems Shepherd’s adrenaline kicked into gear after this and she jumped up.
“One of us has to die, and I’m going home to my kids” and starting swinging….
Elda Shepherd says the man ran out after she started swinging and this is when she took to social media to update on what had just happened to her.
Shepherd was told that the police is allegedly only open from 9 to 5 and was also told that the guy was already arrested which made her question the hotel.
In addition, Shepherd said the hotel tried to bribe her with money following the incident.
Friends and family encouraged Shepherd not to go anywhere with the hotel staff who came to talk to her more than once. Everyone encouraged Shepherd to wait it out for the U.S. Embassy and police, which she did.
In the end, the man was identified in a line-up.
Shepherd came back to update everyone via a live video about her safety and she informed viewers that she stayed in a friend’s room.
Unfortunately, due to the long process that she had to endure, she stated that she missed her flight and had to stay another night in the Dominican Republic.
A woman allegedly woke up to an intruder in her hotel room at the Breathless Punta Cana Resort and Spa in the Dominican Republic.
This story follows after recent travel news on the deaths of 3 different people who stayed at the Dominican Republic hotel named Bahia Principe Hotel in La Romana who died five days apart last month.
Reports like this are putting a lot of people on edge about traveling to the Dominican Republic and other destinations and this story may put even more people on alert while traveling.
A woman by the name of Elda Shepherd took to social media about what happened to her while staying at Breathless Punta Cana Resort & Spa and what was currently going on as it was happening. Shepherd’s post got social media into action with friends, family and strangers participating to make sure she was safe.
It is believed that Elda Shepherd traveled with a group through World Class Global Connect LLC travel agency however, traveled without a companion therefore booking her room as a single occupant.
According to the account by Elda Shepherd, she had returned to her room after being out and decided to relax with a drink and take a dip in the hot tub. Shepherd says she went to the front desk to get assistance with the hot tub and an employee was sent and got it started and left.
After this, Shepherd stated that she went to bed about 11’ish and at around 2AM she woke up to the guy who had fixed the hot tub in her room as she laid naked.
The man was stated to have not spoken English and instead used his phone to ask her, “Why are you alone, you don’t want company?”
It seems Shepherd’s adrenaline kicked into gear after this and she jumped up.
“One of us has to die, and I’m going home to my kids” and starting swinging….
Elda Shepherd says the man ran out after she started swinging and this is when she took to social media to update on what had just happened to her.
Shepherd was told that the police is allegedly only open from 9 to 5 and was also told that the guy was already arrested which made her question the hotel.
In addition, Shepherd said the hotel tried to bribe her with money following the incident.
Friends and family encouraged Shepherd not to go anywhere with the hotel staff who came to talk to her more than once. Everyone encouraged Shepherd to wait it out for the U.S. Embassy and police, which she did.
In the end, the man was identified in a line-up.
Shepherd came back to update everyone via a live video about her safety and she informed viewers that she stayed in a friend’s room.
Unfortunately, due to the long process that she had to endure, she stated that she missed her flight and had to stay another night in the Dominican Republic.
DOS_patos
Unverified Legion of Trill member
Woman says husband died in Dominican Republic last year under similar circumstances as woman, couple
A widow is speaking out on her husband's sudden 2018 death after multiple tourists died in a Dominican Republic resort under similar suspicious conditions.
Dawn McCoy, of Charles County, Md., told WTTG she was preparing to travel to the Caribbean nation on July 14 to commemorate the one year anniversary of her husband David Harrison's passing when she learned that an American couple, Nate Holmes and Cynthia Day, recently died on the island.
"When it came up that they died from the same exact thing as my husband I thought 'No, no.... there's no way two people could die of the same exact thing,'" McCoy told the station.
Holmes, 63, and Day, 49, of Prince George's County, Md., were found dead on May 30 in their room at the Grand Bahia Principe Hotel in La Romana by an employee, after the two missed their scheduled checkout time.
Five days prior, Miranda Schaup-Werner, a 41-year-old Pennsylvania psychotherapist, died at the same resort as Holmes and Day. Schaup, who was traveling with her husband Daniel Werner, allegedly collapsed after having a drink at the all-inclusive resort on May 25 and was unable to be resuscitated.
All three of their deaths were officially attributed to respiratory failure and pulmonary edema — the same cause of death listed for McCoy's husband, although he died at a separate hotel and his autopsy also referenced a heart attack.
McCoy says her husband, who was 45 years old and reportedly in good health when he suddenly died, complained he was feeling ill one night before bed and woke up in distress early in the morning.
"He wasn't able to breathe," she told WUSA. "He wasn't able to talk. He was sweating profusely."
The widow said that after her repeated calls for medical assistance, a doctor took nearly 25 minutes to arrive. By then, it was too late to save her husband.
"I didn't plan on coming back a widow," she said. "I wasn't prepared for what was coming my way."
McCoy, who had to pay $20,000 dollars to get her husband's body home, now says she regrets having his remains cremated as she cannot get a second autopsy.
When asked if she thought her husband could have just died from natural causes, McCoy said, "Honestly, I don't believe so."
Jay McDonald, the spokesman for Miranda Schaup-Werner, echoed McCoy's sentiment in the wake of the most recent deaths at the Grand Bahia Principe.
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"That was beyond coincidence," he said. "They died five days after, and the cause was determined to be the same, this just puts this whole thing through the stratosphere – something is going on, and we want to know what it is."
In a Wednesday statement, Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts clarified that the deaths took place at two different hotels on the same property, claiming that "to date, there are no indications of any correlation between these two unfortunate events."
"We disapprove of any speculation and conjecture on the possible causes of death and urge all to respect the families while the investigation is ongoing," the company added.
A widow is speaking out on her husband's sudden 2018 death after multiple tourists died in a Dominican Republic resort under similar suspicious conditions.
Dawn McCoy, of Charles County, Md., told WTTG she was preparing to travel to the Caribbean nation on July 14 to commemorate the one year anniversary of her husband David Harrison's passing when she learned that an American couple, Nate Holmes and Cynthia Day, recently died on the island.
"When it came up that they died from the same exact thing as my husband I thought 'No, no.... there's no way two people could die of the same exact thing,'" McCoy told the station.
Holmes, 63, and Day, 49, of Prince George's County, Md., were found dead on May 30 in their room at the Grand Bahia Principe Hotel in La Romana by an employee, after the two missed their scheduled checkout time.
Five days prior, Miranda Schaup-Werner, a 41-year-old Pennsylvania psychotherapist, died at the same resort as Holmes and Day. Schaup, who was traveling with her husband Daniel Werner, allegedly collapsed after having a drink at the all-inclusive resort on May 25 and was unable to be resuscitated.
All three of their deaths were officially attributed to respiratory failure and pulmonary edema — the same cause of death listed for McCoy's husband, although he died at a separate hotel and his autopsy also referenced a heart attack.
McCoy says her husband, who was 45 years old and reportedly in good health when he suddenly died, complained he was feeling ill one night before bed and woke up in distress early in the morning.
"He wasn't able to breathe," she told WUSA. "He wasn't able to talk. He was sweating profusely."
The widow said that after her repeated calls for medical assistance, a doctor took nearly 25 minutes to arrive. By then, it was too late to save her husband.
"I didn't plan on coming back a widow," she said. "I wasn't prepared for what was coming my way."
McCoy, who had to pay $20,000 dollars to get her husband's body home, now says she regrets having his remains cremated as she cannot get a second autopsy.
When asked if she thought her husband could have just died from natural causes, McCoy said, "Honestly, I don't believe so."
Jay McDonald, the spokesman for Miranda Schaup-Werner, echoed McCoy's sentiment in the wake of the most recent deaths at the Grand Bahia Principe.
Sign up for Breaking News by AOL to get the latest breaking news alerts and updates delivered straight to your inbox.
Subscribe to our other newsletters
Emails may offer personalized content or ads. Learn more. You may unsubscribe any time.
"That was beyond coincidence," he said. "They died five days after, and the cause was determined to be the same, this just puts this whole thing through the stratosphere – something is going on, and we want to know what it is."
In a Wednesday statement, Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts clarified that the deaths took place at two different hotels on the same property, claiming that "to date, there are no indications of any correlation between these two unfortunate events."
"We disapprove of any speculation and conjecture on the possible causes of death and urge all to respect the families while the investigation is ongoing," the company added.
DOS_patos
Unverified Legion of Trill member
Lehigh County Woman and Maryland Couple Die at Same Dominican Republic Resort Days Apart
A Dominican Republic resort released the cause of death of a Pennsylvania woman who died inside her hotel room just days before a Maryland couple was found dead at a nearby hotel.
On May 25, Miranda Schaup-Werner, a 41-year-old psychotherapist from Lehigh County, arrived at the Luxury Bahia Principe Bouganville with her husband to celebrate their ninth wedding anniversary.
While inside their room, Schaup-Werner had a drink from the mini-bar when she was suddenly struck with "acute physical distress," a family spokesperson said. She then collapsed to the floor.
Schaup-Werner's husband, a doctor, performed CPR as he waited for medics to arrive. She was later pronounced dead.
Pennsylvania Woman Dies in the Dominican Republic
A Lehigh County Woman died at a Domincan Republic resort only five days before a Maryland couple was found dead. On Wednesday, the resort released a statement clarifying conflicting reports on both deaths.
(Published Wednesday, June 5, 2019)
A spokesperson for Bahia Principe released a statement Wednesday, stating that Schaup-Werner died from a heart attack.
"According to statements from the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (INACIF) and the National Police Investigations Unit (DICRIM), Mrs. Schaup-Werner’s cause of death was determined to be a heart attack, aligning with official statements provided by Mr. Werner, who confirmed she had a history of heart conditions," Bahia Principe wrote.
A spokesperson for the attorney general of the Dominican Republic, however, told NBC affiliate Telemundo 44, out of Washington, D.C., that she did not understand why the hotel is ruling on a manner of death when the investigation is not complete.
The message also conflicts with a statement from a family spokesperson who said Schaup-Werner died from respiratory failure and pulmonary edema. While the U.S. Department of State confirmed Schaup-Werner's death with NBC News, they did not identify an exact cause.
The family spokesperson claimed a toxicology report was never completed and Schaup-Werner's glass and drink were never tested. The spokesperson also said Schaup-Werner was healthy.
In their statement Wednesday, the resort said the hotel's medical staff was contacted immediately after Schaup-Werner was found unresponsive in the room and that they coordinated her transfer to the hospital.
Will Recent Deaths Affect Travel to the Dominican Republic?
Three Americans, one from the Lehigh County, were recently found dead in the Dominican Republic. In January, a Delaware woman was viciously beaten while vacationing in the Caribbean nation. Travel agencies, however, are saying they haven’t seen an increase in cancellations.
(Published Wednesday, June 5, 2019)
"Unfortunately, Mrs. Schaup-Werner passed before this transfer could take place," the resort spokesperson wrote. "The case was placed in the hands of the local authorities while we provided our complete support to her husband, Mr. Werner."
On May 30, Nathaniel Holmes, 63, and Cynthia Day, 50, an engaged couple from Maryland, were found dead at the Grand Bahia Principe La Romana, an adjacent hotel on the same Bahia Principe property.
Investigators said Holmes and Day died from respiratory failure and pulmonary edema. The Department of State said in a statement they were "not aware" of any connection between the death of Schaup-Werner and the deaths of Day and Holmes.
Day and Holmes had been staying at the vacation spot since May 25 and were scheduled to fly back home May 30.
The bodies showed “no signs of violence,” according to a statement from Bahia Principe.
Police said investigators are looking at the possibility carbon monoxide poisoning is to blame for Holmes' and Day's deaths. Police did not confirm whether the couple's room had a carbon monoxide detector.
Speaking by phone, Sonya Jackson, Day’s sister, said the family is having a hard time believing respiratory issues caused the couple's deaths.
In their statement Wednesday, the spokesperson for the Bahia Principe said that the two incidents occurred at two different hotels and that they were not related.
"We disapprove of any speculation and conjecture on the possible causes of death and urge all to respect the families while the investigation is ongoing," the resort said.
The resort also said established security protocols were followed during both incidents and that they've maintained open communication with the authorities.
A Dominican Republic resort released the cause of death of a Pennsylvania woman who died inside her hotel room just days before a Maryland couple was found dead at a nearby hotel.
On May 25, Miranda Schaup-Werner, a 41-year-old psychotherapist from Lehigh County, arrived at the Luxury Bahia Principe Bouganville with her husband to celebrate their ninth wedding anniversary.
While inside their room, Schaup-Werner had a drink from the mini-bar when she was suddenly struck with "acute physical distress," a family spokesperson said. She then collapsed to the floor.
Schaup-Werner's husband, a doctor, performed CPR as he waited for medics to arrive. She was later pronounced dead.
Pennsylvania Woman Dies in the Dominican Republic
A Lehigh County Woman died at a Domincan Republic resort only five days before a Maryland couple was found dead. On Wednesday, the resort released a statement clarifying conflicting reports on both deaths.
(Published Wednesday, June 5, 2019)
A spokesperson for Bahia Principe released a statement Wednesday, stating that Schaup-Werner died from a heart attack.
"According to statements from the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (INACIF) and the National Police Investigations Unit (DICRIM), Mrs. Schaup-Werner’s cause of death was determined to be a heart attack, aligning with official statements provided by Mr. Werner, who confirmed she had a history of heart conditions," Bahia Principe wrote.
A spokesperson for the attorney general of the Dominican Republic, however, told NBC affiliate Telemundo 44, out of Washington, D.C., that she did not understand why the hotel is ruling on a manner of death when the investigation is not complete.
The message also conflicts with a statement from a family spokesperson who said Schaup-Werner died from respiratory failure and pulmonary edema. While the U.S. Department of State confirmed Schaup-Werner's death with NBC News, they did not identify an exact cause.
The family spokesperson claimed a toxicology report was never completed and Schaup-Werner's glass and drink were never tested. The spokesperson also said Schaup-Werner was healthy.
In their statement Wednesday, the resort said the hotel's medical staff was contacted immediately after Schaup-Werner was found unresponsive in the room and that they coordinated her transfer to the hospital.
Will Recent Deaths Affect Travel to the Dominican Republic?
Three Americans, one from the Lehigh County, were recently found dead in the Dominican Republic. In January, a Delaware woman was viciously beaten while vacationing in the Caribbean nation. Travel agencies, however, are saying they haven’t seen an increase in cancellations.
(Published Wednesday, June 5, 2019)
"Unfortunately, Mrs. Schaup-Werner passed before this transfer could take place," the resort spokesperson wrote. "The case was placed in the hands of the local authorities while we provided our complete support to her husband, Mr. Werner."
On May 30, Nathaniel Holmes, 63, and Cynthia Day, 50, an engaged couple from Maryland, were found dead at the Grand Bahia Principe La Romana, an adjacent hotel on the same Bahia Principe property.
Investigators said Holmes and Day died from respiratory failure and pulmonary edema. The Department of State said in a statement they were "not aware" of any connection between the death of Schaup-Werner and the deaths of Day and Holmes.
Day and Holmes had been staying at the vacation spot since May 25 and were scheduled to fly back home May 30.
The bodies showed “no signs of violence,” according to a statement from Bahia Principe.
Police said investigators are looking at the possibility carbon monoxide poisoning is to blame for Holmes' and Day's deaths. Police did not confirm whether the couple's room had a carbon monoxide detector.
Speaking by phone, Sonya Jackson, Day’s sister, said the family is having a hard time believing respiratory issues caused the couple's deaths.
In their statement Wednesday, the spokesperson for the Bahia Principe said that the two incidents occurred at two different hotels and that they were not related.
"We disapprove of any speculation and conjecture on the possible causes of death and urge all to respect the families while the investigation is ongoing," the resort said.
The resort also said established security protocols were followed during both incidents and that they've maintained open communication with the authorities.
DOS_patos
Unverified Legion of Trill member
Dominican Republic hotel says Delaware woman requested $2.2M before going public with attack
The Dominican Republic hotel where a Delaware woman said she was beaten and left for dead in January says she demanded $2.2 million in compensation before going public with her story in a May 29 Facebook post that since has gone viral.
Tammy Lawrence-Daley of Wilmington posted a full account of her ordeal to Facebook, writing that a man in a uniform bearing the logo of her Punta Cana hotel, the Majestic Elegance Resort, attacked her and then dragged her into a basement maintenance room where he continued assaulting her badly enough to warrant a five-day hospital stay, according to the Delaware News Journal, which is part of the USA TODAY Network.
"I was kicked in the head, I was beaten with a club," she wrote. "And then strangled again for the kill." Her post was accompanied by photos showing significant bruises and cuts to her face.
Lawrence-Daley also accused the staff of her hotel of taking a cavalier attitude toward her case, writing that when her husband and friends asked for help searching for her, a security staffer assured them she was probably "drunk somewhere."
Majestic Resorts, which operates the hotel in question, offered its own version of events in a two-page Twitter statement Wednesday.
The company says that before going public with her story, Lawrence-Daley "formally demanded a 2.2 million compensation agreement. After receiving no positive response, she disclosed her version of the case, four months after it happened."
The statement disputed Lawrence-Daley's timeline, saying that her husband, Christopher Daley, reported her missing at 2:30 a.m., close to three hours after she claims he went to the front desk. It also says that contrary to her claim that it took several requests to spur hotel staff to action, "a few minutes later, a search operation began all throughout the property."
The hotel said she was eventually found at 6:40 a.m. in a restricted area of the resort.
"She showed bruises on her face and had broken a fingernail, without presenting any other signs of violence on her body," their statement claimed, noting she was also still "in possession of her purse, cellphone and other belongings." (Lawrence-Daley has confirmed that she was not robbed during the incident.)
From that moment on, Majestic Resorts said, a staffer was stationed at the hospital "to provide assistance and ensure that her needs were met."
According to its statement, "Majestic Resorts paid for all hospital expenses and offered Mrs. Lawrence, her husband and her fellow travelers a complimentary extension of their stay at the hotel for all the time necessary to recover and arrange for their departure."
Tammy Lawrence-Daley shared this photo on Facebook as she recounted an attack that she says occurred while on a January vacation to the Dominican Republic.
Facebook
Once she was released from the hospital, Majestic says "special meals were prepared for her as she had difficulty eating solid food."
The hotel also says that a U.S. Embassy staffer visited to explain how the Dominican Republic's legal system works but that Lawrence-Daley "refused to present any legal accusations despite the recommendation of the local authorities."
Lawrence-Daley has said she testified before flying home but has yet to receive a copy of the police report. In her Facebook post, she noted the hotel's insurance company had concluded they were not at fault since she could not identify her attacker and that unless she hires a local attorney to pursue the case on the ground, she will run out of legal options in late July.
The hotel's statement also noted that some investigators believe her story "presents contradictions and confusing facts, casting doubts on her testimony."
Majestic, which says it is continuing to cooperate with local authorities pending the outcome of their investigation, expressed irritation at U.S. media coverage, which treated Lawrence-Daley's account as "true and definitive, without listening to the authorities' version or waiting for a final resolution of the case."
Last week, police spokesman Col. Frank Durán told the Associated Press that as soon as they learned of the incident, authorities visited Lawrence-Daley in the hospital to interview her. They also collected physical evidence from the resort.
"There is a lot of conjecture about the case, a lot of information that doesn't match some of the statements," Durán said, without elaborating on what the discrepancies may be. "We have to wait for the investigation to end."
Lawrence-Daley did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the USA TODAY Network.
'Details remain unclear': Police in Punta Cana weigh in on the investigation
The Dominican Republic hotel where a Delaware woman said she was beaten and left for dead in January says she demanded $2.2 million in compensation before going public with her story in a May 29 Facebook post that since has gone viral.
Tammy Lawrence-Daley of Wilmington posted a full account of her ordeal to Facebook, writing that a man in a uniform bearing the logo of her Punta Cana hotel, the Majestic Elegance Resort, attacked her and then dragged her into a basement maintenance room where he continued assaulting her badly enough to warrant a five-day hospital stay, according to the Delaware News Journal, which is part of the USA TODAY Network.
"I was kicked in the head, I was beaten with a club," she wrote. "And then strangled again for the kill." Her post was accompanied by photos showing significant bruises and cuts to her face.
Lawrence-Daley also accused the staff of her hotel of taking a cavalier attitude toward her case, writing that when her husband and friends asked for help searching for her, a security staffer assured them she was probably "drunk somewhere."
Majestic Resorts, which operates the hotel in question, offered its own version of events in a two-page Twitter statement Wednesday.
The company says that before going public with her story, Lawrence-Daley "formally demanded a 2.2 million compensation agreement. After receiving no positive response, she disclosed her version of the case, four months after it happened."
The statement disputed Lawrence-Daley's timeline, saying that her husband, Christopher Daley, reported her missing at 2:30 a.m., close to three hours after she claims he went to the front desk. It also says that contrary to her claim that it took several requests to spur hotel staff to action, "a few minutes later, a search operation began all throughout the property."
The hotel said she was eventually found at 6:40 a.m. in a restricted area of the resort.
"She showed bruises on her face and had broken a fingernail, without presenting any other signs of violence on her body," their statement claimed, noting she was also still "in possession of her purse, cellphone and other belongings." (Lawrence-Daley has confirmed that she was not robbed during the incident.)
From that moment on, Majestic Resorts said, a staffer was stationed at the hospital "to provide assistance and ensure that her needs were met."
According to its statement, "Majestic Resorts paid for all hospital expenses and offered Mrs. Lawrence, her husband and her fellow travelers a complimentary extension of their stay at the hotel for all the time necessary to recover and arrange for their departure."
Tammy Lawrence-Daley shared this photo on Facebook as she recounted an attack that she says occurred while on a January vacation to the Dominican Republic.
Once she was released from the hospital, Majestic says "special meals were prepared for her as she had difficulty eating solid food."
The hotel also says that a U.S. Embassy staffer visited to explain how the Dominican Republic's legal system works but that Lawrence-Daley "refused to present any legal accusations despite the recommendation of the local authorities."
Lawrence-Daley has said she testified before flying home but has yet to receive a copy of the police report. In her Facebook post, she noted the hotel's insurance company had concluded they were not at fault since she could not identify her attacker and that unless she hires a local attorney to pursue the case on the ground, she will run out of legal options in late July.
The hotel's statement also noted that some investigators believe her story "presents contradictions and confusing facts, casting doubts on her testimony."
Majestic, which says it is continuing to cooperate with local authorities pending the outcome of their investigation, expressed irritation at U.S. media coverage, which treated Lawrence-Daley's account as "true and definitive, without listening to the authorities' version or waiting for a final resolution of the case."
Last week, police spokesman Col. Frank Durán told the Associated Press that as soon as they learned of the incident, authorities visited Lawrence-Daley in the hospital to interview her. They also collected physical evidence from the resort.
"There is a lot of conjecture about the case, a lot of information that doesn't match some of the statements," Durán said, without elaborating on what the discrepancies may be. "We have to wait for the investigation to end."
Lawrence-Daley did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the USA TODAY Network.
'Details remain unclear': Police in Punta Cana weigh in on the investigation
#1hiphopjunki3
Go Spurs Go!!
I seen this on the news also. It kinda makes sense that it might be the pesticides they use that's getting people sick.
The lady who got beat up story seems to have serious holes in her story. I hate to say that because happened to her is awful but I wouldn't be surprised if her husband beat her up for fucking around while they were down there. The local guys get sugar Mommas just like the local girls get sugar daddies
The lady who got beat up story seems to have serious holes in her story. I hate to say that because happened to her is awful but I wouldn't be surprised if her husband beat her up for fucking around while they were down there. The local guys get sugar Mommas just like the local girls get sugar daddies
DOS_patos
Unverified Legion of Trill member
you are right.......i always have this debate about sex tourism.
the chicks say the guys who go to the DR are corny and must buy coochie in third world countries.
but thing is.....its alot of dominican guys there smashing american black women and European and american white women.
and lets not even get started on Jamaica. shit is ten times worse there. Yardies be running thru them chicks.
so the new spot is africa for the ladies.
but if you a woman and need to buy dick.....im saying.
but yea...that white chick story is BS.
unless she insulted someone and he caught her slipping i cant see a dude just jumping her and not robbing her.
the NY couple who was found dead....they had no ID cuz they was robbed while unconscious.
so you cant tell me the chick still had her pocketbook and phone and she didnt say nothing for 5 months but asked for money.
#1hiphopjunki3
Go Spurs Go!!
I feel bad about how the country is getting all this crazy bad publicity. Overall it's a very beautiful and chill place to visit with pretty friendly locals. This news is definitely gonna to hurt a little bit of their tourism.
I read that so far tourism hasn't taken a hit but it is still super early with all these stories coming out.
I read that so far tourism hasn't taken a hit but it is still super early with all these stories coming out.
DOS_patos
Unverified Legion of Trill member
nope./...
niggas dont care.
the man didnt have a mix tape out or didnt do anything for the local community.
basically he wasnt viral for any reason other than dying.
he was just a black man who died.
think about that
DMorgan
You niggas is EXCOMMUNICADO!!!
I know this but niggas will never admit it in this thread or many others.
DOS_patos
Unverified Legion of Trill member
DMorgan
You niggas is EXCOMMUNICADO!!!
That ain't the only reason but you know how shit go when some folks get confronted with their BS or have to make hard choices.
DOS_patos
Unverified Legion of Trill member
DMorgan
You niggas is EXCOMMUNICADO!!!
No fights just some good shit to make this time at the job today go by faster
DOS_patos
Unverified Legion of Trill member
DMorgan
You niggas is EXCOMMUNICADO!!!
oh i get it....so you start shit?
aye...i can respect it...i do the same but uhhh
I don't start shit just state my opinion which some people don't agree with. That leads to a back and forth. Sometimes its good and sometimes it ain't worth shit.
