Autopsies Suggest “Intoxication by an Undetermined Substance” after an American couple killed in Mexico 2023.
Mexican Authorities Investigate the Cause of Death
The bodies of Abby Lutz and John Heathco, the two Americans found dead in their luxury hotel in Mexico have undergone autopsies.
The autopsies have shed light on the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
Prosecutors in Mexico’s Baja California Sur state announced that the autopsies indicated the cause of death as “intoxication by an undetermined substance.”
This contradicts the initial suspicion of gas inhalation as the cause.
No Signs of Violence Detected
The state prosecutors’ office revealed that the bodies did not display any signs of violence.
However, further investigation is required to determine the exact substance that caused their intoxication.
The Victims Were Dead for Several Hours
According to prosecutors, Lutz and Heathco had been deceased for approximately 11 to 12 hours.
This is before their bodies were discovered in their room at Rancho Pescadero, a luxury hotel near Cabo San Lucas.
Paramedics had received a report about the unconscious Americans, but by the time they arrived, the victims had already passed away.
Toxic Substance, Possibly Carbon Monoxide
The attorney general’s office in Baja California stated that the cause of death was linked to inhalation of a toxic substance, potentially carbon monoxide.
They did not provide further details regarding the investigation’s progress.
Prior Illness and Hospitalization
Lutz’s family informed CBS News that the couple had sought medical attention a few days before their deaths, initially believing it was food poisoning.
They spent Sunday night in a Mexican hospital, receiving treatment for dehydration.
On Monday, they returned to their hotel. Lutz’s stepsister, Gabby Slate, revealed that Abby mentioned feeling extremely ill.
Monday night was the last time the family heard from her when she sent a text message to her father before going to bed.
Victims’ Background and Company Affiliation
Authorities identified Lutz and Heathco as residents of Newport Beach, California.
John Heathco was listed as the founder of LES Labs, a nutritional supplements company based in Covina, California.
The U.S. Embassy in Mexico City has yet to confirm the victims’ identities and hometowns due to privacy concerns.
Hotel Management Denies Safety Threat after American couple killed in Mexico 2023
Henar Gil, the general manager of Rancho Pescadero, issued a statement to CBS News Los Angeles.
In the statement he emphasized that there was no evidence of violence related to the incident of an American couple killed in Mexico 2023.
The hotel management asserted that they were unaware of any threats to the safety and well-being of their guests.
Concerns Over Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Mexico has witnessed multiple cases of deaths caused by carbon monoxide poisoning or other toxic gases.
The absence of proper gas line installations, vents, and monitoring devices in water heaters and stoves is a recurring issue.
Previous Incidents of Gas-Related Deaths in Mexico
In October, three U.S. citizens were found dead in a rented apartment in Mexico City, with gas inhalation suspected as the cause.
In 2018, an American couple and their two children died due to a gas leak from a water heater in Tulum, near Playa del Carmen.
Additionally, in 2010, an improperly installed gas line caused an explosion in a hotel in Playa del Carmen, claiming the lives of five Canadian tourists and two Mexicans.
