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Deaths of three Americans in the Dominican Republic were result of natural causes, FBI tests show

Oct. 19, 2019
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2 min read
Dominican Republic, Saona Island, Palm trees on beach
Deaths of three Americans in the Dominican Republic were result of natural causes, FBI tests show
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The FBI ruled that the deaths of three Americans, who died just days apart in the Dominican Republic, were the result of natural causes, according to multiple news reports.

In June, the FBI assisted local authorities in toxicology tests of three of the nine U.S. citizens who have died in the Caribbean nation in the past year, CNN previously reported.

The autopsies were performed on Edward Nathaniel Holmes and Cynthia Day, a Maryland couple, and Miranda Schaup-Werner. Schaup-Werner died at the Grand Bahia Principe in La Romana in May while celebrating her wedding anniversary.

Edward Nathaniel Holmes, 63, and Cynthia Ann Day, 49, were found dead in their room at the Grand Bahia Principe just five days later. All three deaths, as we reported at the time, had the same cause: respiratory failure and pulmonary edema. Dominican officials said at the time that the deaths “weren’t violent.”

The deaths (along with several hospitalizations and other violent incidents) spurred a flurry of canceled trips and left travelers questioning if it was safe to vacation in the Dominican Republic.

A Colorado couple ended their vacation early after falling ill at the same resort where Day, Holmes and Schaup-Werner died. A California man fell ill and died unexpectedly in April after having a drink from his hotel room minibar at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Punta Cana, according to Insider.

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The New York Post previously reported that dozens of tourists have suddenly become violently ill while visiting the Dominican Republic since March and nearly 50 of them were staying at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino where Wallace died.

The bodies of a New York couple reported missing for weeks were found off the coast of the Dominican Republic in April. According to reports the pair, Orlando Moore, 40, and Portia Ravenelle, 52, died in a car crash en route to the airport to catch a flight home. In June, retired Red Sox legend David Ortiz was shot in the back at a nightclub in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. He survived.

Featured image by Getty Images

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  • Solid welcome bonus

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  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
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  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
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  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
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