It has been confirmed that the three American tourists found dead this spring in the Dominican Republic died of natural causes after FBI toxicology tests were administered.
According to a statement from the State Department on Friday, the results were consistent with the findings of local authorities.
On May 25th, Miranda Schaupp-Werner, 41, from Pennsylvania, was found dead at the Luxury Bahia Principe Bouganville hotel.
A couple from Maryland, Edward Nathaniel Holmes, 63, as well as Cynthia Ann Day, 49, were found dead in their hotel room at the Grand Bahia Principe La Romana Resort in San Pedro de Macoris on May 30th.
Image via Nathaniel Holmes/Facebook
A family spokesperson for the Day and Holmes families, Steven Bullock, said the families have yet to hear any updates from authorities regarding their deaths.
“The Day and Holmes families have not been provided with any information from the FBI or the Dominican Republic Authorities regarding the deaths,” Bullock said in a statement to ABC News. “The only information that has been received by the families is what is being reported in the media. Our investigation is continuing, and we will not have any further comment until we receive the results of our investigation. Thank you.”
The FBI was then assisting in the probe at the neighboring resorts in the Caribbean nation.
The deaths were among the first of at least 11 Americans to die in the country in the past few months.
According to the U.S. State Department in June, despite the deaths, it had not seen an “uptick” in fatal incidents.
The spokesperson said that over 2.7 million U.S. citizens visit the Dominican Republic each year and, as in most countries, “the overwhelming majority travel without incident.”
The families of the the three Americans have been informed of the toxicology reports.
According to the Dominican Republic National Police, Schaup-Werner died of respiratory failure and pulmonary edema, while an autopsy performed on Holmes and Day determined that they died of the same causes.