A fun vacation turned into a sad occasion when three friends were found dead in their Mexico City Airbnb. The friends had gathered there to celebrate Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead). According to People, the deceased were Courtez Hall, 33, Jordan Marshall, 28, and Kandace Florence, who would have turned 29 on Nov. 10.
Florence and Marshall attended high school together in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Hall, a native of New Orleans, was a friend of Marshall, who resided in New Orleans.
The trio flew to Mexico City in late October to celebrate the annual holiday. All was well until the next day. Florence’s boyfriend told WAVY-10 he and his girlfriend spoke on the phone on Oct. 30. He stated that she started to get sick and expressed to him that something didn’t feel right. The call dropped, and he could not get back in touch with her. Florence’s boyfriend, who did not attend the trip, then reached out to the Airbnb host requesting a wellness check.
The security at the location arrived at the Airbnb and found all three occupants dead.
The Daily Mail reports that the security at the Airbnb condo requested that the presence of the Mexico City police be on site after detecting a strong gas odor from the rental.
A State Department representative provided a statement to People.
“We can confirm the death of three U.S. citizens in Mexico. We are closely monitoring local authorities’ investigation into the cause of death. We stand ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance,” the department stated. “Out of respect for the privacy of the families, we have nothing further to add at this time.”
Outside of the statement, the families of the deceased are still waiting for answers regarding their loved ones.
People stated that Marshall’s sister, Jasmine Marshall, found out about her brother’s death on Oct. 31 through social media.
“I saw my brother’s name and I read it, and my heart sank, and the hardest thing was to break the news to my mom,” she said, according to People.
His mother, Jennifer Marshall, traveled to Mexico City for answers. According to the Daily Mail, she spent hours at the police station waiting on a translator.
She was also unable to recover any of her son’s personal belongings because they were being held by authorities.
Chad Florence and his wife also ran into issues with authorities not providing a translator when they went to Mexico City on behalf of their daughter.
Hall’s mother, Ceola Hall, told New Orleans news station WDSU that Oct. 29 was the last time she spoke to her son.
She was not informed of his death until the U.S. Embassy contacted her. In attempts to receive more information, the language barrier was a hindrance.
“It’s been so hard. We tried calling back over there for the funeral homes,” Hall told WDSU. “Because of the language barrier and stuff you can’t get anything through, like, you know, really understand.”
Although Mexican authorities have not released an official cause of death statement, many are speculating about the strong odor coming from the condo where the bodies were found.
According to the Daily Mail, the attorney general’s office stated, “According to the [forensic] expert studies carried out, the three people referred to died of carbon monoxide.”
All three bodies have been flown back to the U.S., and the official cause of death is still under investigation.
