SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) - Authorities in the Dominican Republic say the deaths of a Pennsylvania psychotherapist and an American couple five days later at the same resort appear to be unrelated incidents.
Tourism Minister Francisco Javier García said an autopsy shows Miranda Schaup-Werner, 41, of Allentown, suffered a heart attack on May 25.
Dominican police also are investigating the deaths of a Maryland couple found at another hotel in the same resort May 30. Officials said Edward Nathaniel Holmes, 63, and Cynthia Ann Day, 49, appeared to have suffered respiratory failure and fluid in the lungs. Authorities originally described the deaths as taking place in the same hotel.
Family spokesman Jay McDonald told WFMZ-TV in Allentown that Schaup-Werner collapsed after getting a drink from the minibar.
García said authorities continued to investigate a third case that the victim recently made public on social media, detailing an hours-long assault by a man she said was wearing the uniform of an all-inclusive resort. He said the investigation was complicated by the woman’s inability to identify the attacker from a lineup of all employees on duty at the time. Garcia also said there were inconsistencies between the woman’s account of the events during the day of the attack, and her husband’s account.
The Dominican Republic’s prosecutor’s office said forensics experts are performing toxicological and other tests to determine the causes of death of Holmes and Day.
Police said several bottles of medicines to treat high blood pressure were found on the scene of the couple’s death.
On May 27, the pair had shared photos and messages on their Facebook accounts in which they appeared to be enjoying their vacation.
McDonald said Schaup-Werner’s family heard about the deaths of Holmes and Day, who he said checked into the hotel the same day as Werner and Schaup-Werner.
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