Pennsylvania woman died at same Dominican hotel five days before mysterious death of Maryland couple
A woman from Pennsylvania who was on a vacation with her husband in the Dominican Republic died suddenly in her room. The incident occurred just five days before a couple from Maryland was found dead at the same hotel in similar circumstances.
The woman was identified as Miranda Schaup-Werner, a 41-year-old psychotherapist from Allentown, Pennsylvania.
She reportedly collapsed after having a drink from the mini-bar at the all-inclusive Bahia Principe Hotel in La Romana on May 25, according to Fox News.
“It was very quick,” Miranda's brother Jay McDonald said. McDonald is acting as the family spokesperson for his brother-in-law Daniel Werner. "Daniel and all of us are in a state of disbelief, we are shocked. She was perfectly content, everything seemed fine," he continued.
McDonald added that Miranda had been diagnosed with inflammation around her heart some 15 years ago but she had sought treatment for it and was medically cleared of the condition. He also added that the hotel was attempting to mislead the public on what may have caused Miranda's sudden death.
Miranda had reportedly posted pictures of her vacation on her Facebook page, along with a picture of her hotel room. The couple was reportedly celebrating their ninth wedding anniversary when the tragic incident occurred.
McDonald added that Werner had told him that Miranda and he were in their room before she ordered an alcoholic drink, sat down, took a selfie and then stood up. At that point, she suddenly started "shrieking and dropped to the floor."
Werner reportedly attempted to do CPR, in an effort to resuscitate her.
He then called the hotel staff, and paramedics arrived and administered an epinephrine injection, which is generally given to treat acute allergic reactions. “At that point, they just declared her dead,” McDonald said.
He added that the authorities “did a very cursory [look] into determining the cause of death.”
McDonald added that the family was shocked after they became aware of the news of a Maryland couple's death at the same hotel under mysterious circumstances just five days after the incident.
The couple — Edward Nathaniel Holmes and Cynthia Day — had coincidentally arrived at the resort the same day Miranda passed away, and were found dead in their room five days later.
“That was beyond coincidence,” McDonald said. “They died five days after, and the cause was determined to be the same, this just puts this whole thing through the stratosphere—something is going on, and we want to know what it is. We also want to know why her death was treated in such a cursory manner.”
The U.S. State Department confirmed the deaths on Tuesday in a statement, saying: "We can confirm the recent deaths of three U.S. citizens in La Romana, the Dominican Republic—Nathaniel Edward Holmes, Cynthia Ann Day, and Miranda Schaup-Werner. We offer our sincerest condolences to the families for their loss. The U.S. Embassy is actively monitoring the investigations by Dominican authorities into these tragic deaths. We stand ready to provide assistance as requested."