The Tribune

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

POLICE Commissioner Paul Rolle said investigators looking into the deaths of three Americans at Sandals Emerald Bay in Exuma are probing what the victims may have eaten as well as whether any “contaminants” were present in the separate rooms where they were found.

While much remains unknown, officials do know that the two men and one woman died sometime between 11pm on May 5 when they, along with the lone survivor, visited the clinic seeking medical attention for nausea and vomiting, and around 8.30am to 9am the next morning, when they were found dead in two separate villas.

The deaths, which have attracted international attention, mean police along with health and environment officials are looking at many different avenues to sum up what happened, as they await the results from autopsies and toxicology reports.

The post-mortem examinations were slated to take place yesterday.

The commissioner provided an update into the probe yesterday while publicly identifying the victims. They are husband and wife Michael and Robbie Phillips. They were 68 and 65 years old respectively. The couple was found dead in their villa at Sandals.

 According to Knoxville News Sentinel, the Phillips were a Maryville couple, who owned and operated the Sand Lady, a “travel design” business specialising in Caribbean honeymoons, destination weddings and romantic getaways. The Sand Lady is a preferred Sandals resorts agency, according to its website, and Robbie Phillips had posted photos on Facebook from the resort shortly before her death, the Knoxville New Sentinel said.

 “Our hearts are grieving and broken but full of hope,” their daughter, Kali Hanson, said in a text to Knox News Monday afternoon. “We know our mom and dad are experiencing fullness of joy in our heavenly father’s presence. We already miss them terribly. Our parents left a legacy of faith in Jesus and generously loved their family and friends.

 The third victim was Vincent Paul Chiarella, 64, of Florida. Chiarella’s wife, Donnis, was airlifted to a hospital in Florida and remains in serious condition, Mr Rolle said.

 Yesterday, the commissioner said he did not want to speculate about the circumstances of the deaths.

 “A pathologist has extracted samples from all of the persons and our forensic scientists have collected those samples for examination,” he said yesterday at a press conference to update local and international press on the incident.

 “We are actively engaging a lab in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States to assist us with expediting the toxicological examinations of all of these samples. Once those examinations are done, our pathologists would be able to provide us with an official report as to the exact cause of death and help us to determine what has happened.

 “Our forensic scientists have also collected samples from both of the rooms and the properties of Sandals Hotel in Exuma to determine whether or not any contaminants are present.”

 He said the US lab has assured the results will be complete within seven days.

 Asked to reveal more about the hours before the visitors’ deaths, Mr Rolle said: “They were all treated at different times and they ate at different places. So, that’s why we know but we are checking all of that, which we will hopefully be able to determine if it was some food or something else that caused it but, (it is) safe to say that they all reported at different times feeling ill,” adding both couples went to the island’s clinic.

 As it stands, he said, officials from the Department of Environmental Health as well as police remained at the resort continuing investigations.

 Speculation in the aftermath of the tragedy has continued to swirl, including the possibility of poisoning from an air-conditioning leak.

 Police said they were alerted to the incident shortly after 9am on Friday.

 Staff of the resort reported that the body of a male was found in one of the villas unresponsive. Officers were dispatched and while enroute to the scene they were informed that an additional male and female were found unresponsive in another villa.

 “On their arrival at the scene, they were directed to the first villa. On entering a bedroom, they found a Caucasian male lying on the ground unresponsive. An examination of the body was conducted, there were no signs of trauma found. The local doctor later pronounced the victim dead,” police said in a press statement issued Friday.

 “The officers were then directed to the second villa,” the police said further, “where they found a Caucasian male slumped against a wall in a bathroom unresponsive. A Caucasian female was also found in a bedroom on a bed. She too was unresponsive. Both individuals showed signs of convulsion.

 “The officers examined the bodies and found no signs of trauma. The local doctor later pronounced both persons dead.”