Thread: American family of four found dead while on vacation in Mexico, police say

American family of four found dead while on vacation in Mexico, police say

Marwa Eltagouri, The Washington Post
Published 10:47 am, Saturday, March 24, 2018



FILE – Mexico's Quintana Roo state.

Kevin and Amy Sharp informed their family members in Iowa that they had arrived safely at their vacation condominium in Tulum, Mexico. That was on March 15.

So when their family didn't hear from them on Thursday - a day after they were to have arrived in St. Louis - they became worried.

"If you have any information (last contacted, resources, or ANYTHING!) contact the family ASAP!" said Ashli Peterson, a relative of the Sharps, in a Facebook post late Thursday night that was shared hundreds of thousands of times.

On Friday afternoon, Peterson posted an update.

"Please respect the family at this time as they go through the grieving process," she wrote. "Thank you for all the posts, shares, and kind words."

Kevin Wayne Sharp, 41, his wife, Amy Marie Sharp, 38, and their children Sterling Wayne Sharp, 12, and Adrianna Marie Sharp, 7, were found dead in the Tulum condominium where they had been vacationing, police confirmed Friday. The family had been reported missing by their immediate family members early Friday morning to police in Creston, Iowa, which is located about 70 miles southwest of Des Moines.

The Sharps had planned to return home Wednesday, family members said.

Police quickly made contact with the U.S. State Department, Creston police said in a statement. A welfare check at the condominium where the family was believed to be staying led to the discovery of the four bodies.

It is not immediately clear what led to the Sharp family's deaths, but Creston police chief Paul Ver Meer told KCCI that there were no signs of trauma.

This was the Sharp family's second trip to Mexico. They left the United States for Cancun on March 14, then rented a car and drove to Tulum, where they were renting a condo, according to Amy Sharp's sister Renee Hoyt, who spoke with the Creston News Advertiser.

The family had planned to meet up with some friends at a water park, Amy Sharp's cousin, Jana Weland, told ABC News.

But "they never showed up at that water park to meet them," Weland said.

In fact, the Sharps' family members hadn't heard anything from Kevin or Amy since the day they arrived to Mexico.

It was also unusual for the family not to post photos of their vacation to social media, because "last year they shared pictures about every day," Weland said.

About a week later, on Thursday night, the family had a sinking feeling that something wasn't right. The Sharps were supposed to return to the United States about 2:45 p.m. Wednesday from Cancun and arrive in St. Louis at about 6 p.m., family members said.

The Sharps' family members decided to wait for the last flight from Cancun to St. Louis to arrive on Thursday in case the Sharps had just planned to stay an extra day, Weland told ABC News.

"I guess we were all kind of hoping for the best," she said.

Then, the family tracked Kevin Sharp's phone using Apple's Find my iPhone app. It pinged in Mexico, Hoyt told the Creston News Advertiser. The phone had not moved from its location since Thursday morning.

The family's mysterious deaths come amid increased travel warnings to Quintana Roo state, which is home to Tulum - a popular destination for those looking to explore Mayan ruins or snorkel in limestone sinkholes. The State Department issued a Level 2 advisory to those traveling to Quintana Roo on March 16, meaning visitors should be cautious because of increased crime there. Department officials cited a spike in Quintana Roo's homicide rate since 2016.



Last month, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published an investigation that identified more than 150 reports from travelers who said they blacked out or became violently ill after having just one or two drinks at dozens of Mexican resorts in Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Puerta Vallarta and Los Cabos. It's unclear whether those tourists were deliberately drugged or became random victims of tainted alcohol, according to the investigation.

Autopsies on the Sharps are being performed in Mexico. Local Mexican authorities have taken over the investigation, according to the State Department. The Mexican Tourism Board said in a statement obtained by CBS that "preliminary reports from local officials conclude that there were no signs of violence or struggle."

Paulina Chávez Alonzo, a spokeswoman for the Mexican Embassy in Washington, told NBC News that the government offered its "deepest condolences to the family and friends of the Sharps."

Kevin Sharp was an avid stock car racer known as "the Sharpshooter" in the local racing scene, and he often competed in events in his neighboring county, Cliff Baldwin, his friend and fellow racer, told the Des Moines Register. He said he knew Sharp and his family his entire life and that he and Kevin shared a love for the University of Iowa and the Kansas City Chiefs.

"He was a great personal friend," Baldwin told the Des Moines Register. "It's hard to talk about. The more I think about him and the family, the harder it is."

"Creston is close-knit like all small towns in Iowa," he added. "He's a big part of that community there."

https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/ar...n-12778720.php

American family of four were killed by gas inhalation, Mexican officials say

Autopsies indicate an Iowa couple and their two children died from inhaling toxic gas at a rented condo on Mexico's Caribbean coast.

Marwa Eltagouri and Alex Horton, The Washington Post

Published 12:23 pm, Sunday, March 25, 2018



An Iowa couple and their two children who were found dead inside their rented Mexico condo had inhaled toxic gas, Mexican authorities said Saturday.

The Quintana Roo state prosecutor's office said autopsies showed that all four family members, who were staying in Tulum on Mexico's Caribbean coast, had asphyxiated. Authorities reiterated that there were no signs of foul play.

"Any violent act or suicide has been discounted," authorities said.

Kevin Wayne Sharp, 41, wife Amy Marie Sharp, 38, and Sterling Wayne Sharp, 12, and Adrianna Marie Sharp, 7, were found dead inside the condo Friday after their immediate family members had reported them missing to local police when the Sharps did not return to the United States on Wednesday as originally planned.

Authorities have not yet said where exactly the gas emitted. Photos published by the prosecutor's office show firemen in respirators and other workers in anti-contamination suits examining gas connections and the unit's oven. The Sharp family appeared to have been dead for 36 to 48 hours when they were discovered, Mexican authorities said.

"Life is not going to be the same without her," Beth Fry, Amy Sharp's mother, said Friday, according to the Associated Press. "Half my family is gone."

The findings offer some answers to the sudden disappearance and deaths of the family of four from Creston, Iowa, about 70 miles southwest of Des Moines. Friends and family said the Sharps were beloved members of the community that supported the local college basketball team, whose players they would invite home for Christmas dinner and other holidays, according to the Associated Press.

The Sharps left the United States for Cancun on March 14, then rented a car and drove to Tulum, where they were renting a condo, according to Amy Sharp's sister, Renee Hoyt, who spoke with the Creston News Advertiser.

The family, who were on their second trip to Mexico, had planned to meet up with some friends at a water park, Amy Sharp's cousin, Jana Weland, told ABC News.

But "they never showed up at that water park to meet them," Weland said.

In fact, the Sharps' relatives hadn't heard anything from Kevin or Amy since the day they arrived in Mexico.

It was also unusual for the family not to post photos of their vacation to social media, because "last year they shared pictures about every day," Weland said.

About a week later, on Thursday night, relatives had a sinking feeling that something wasn't right. The Sharps were supposed to return to the United States about 2:45 p.m. Wednesday from Cancun and arrive in St. Louis at about 6 p.m., family members said.

The relatives decided to wait for the last flight from Cancun to St. Louis to arrive on Thursday in case the Sharps had just planned to stay an extra day, Weland told ABC News.

"I guess we were all kind of hoping for the best," she said.

Then, the family tracked Kevin Sharp's phone using Apple's Find my iPhone app. It pinged in Mexico, Hoyt told the Creston News Advertiser. The phone had not moved from its location since Thursday morning.

Paulina Chávez Alonzo, a spokeswoman for the Mexican Embassy in Washington, D.C., told NBC News that the government offered its "deepest condolences to the family and friends of the Sharps."

Kevin was a salesman for the beer distributor Southwest Distributing Co., and Amy was a dental-claims specialist for Principal Financial in Des Moines. They had been married for more than 16 years, according to the AP.

Family members described Adrianna as the "fashion stylist" who "ruled that family." Her brother was an athlete who played baseball, swam and hunted.

"They lived life on the fly, let me tell you," Fry said, according to the AP.

Kevin Sharp also was an avid stock car racer, known as "the Sharpshooter" in the local racing scene, and he often competed in events in his neighboring county, friend and fellow racer Cliff Baldwin told the Des Moines Register.

"Creston is close-knit like all small towns in Iowa," Baldwin added. "He's a big part of that community there."

On Saturday, the community held a candlelight vigil at Adams County Speedway, where the Sharps were regular spectators, local NBC affiliate WHO reported.

"I can tell you one thing about Kevin Sharp: He was a family man. Most people don't appreciate the fact that when you come to this racetrack, this is a family," a friend of the Sharp family said.

On Friday, Fry said the family was determined to get through the tragedy.

"One way or another, we will."

https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/...photo-15066176

Previous thread posted on this topic can be seen here:

https://www.alipac.us/f19/iowa-famil...-tulum-357056/

So it was toxic gas? Probably CO Carbon Monoxide. Now the question is did the toxic gas get into their systems accidentally or did someone run a hose to an idling car or truck exhaust pipe and kill this whole family on purpose?

Posting in General Discussion until more info is available.

Isnt it interesting how Mexico did more to find out what mysteriously killed this family than Americans and Texans did to deterimine what killed US Supreme Court Judge Antonin Scalia?

Originally Posted by ALIPAC

So it was toxic gas? Probably CO Carbon Monoxide. Now the question is did the toxic gas get into their systems accidentally or did someone run a hose to an idling car or truck exhaust pipe and kill this whole family on purpose?

Posting in General Discussion until more info is available.

Isnt it interesting how Mexico did more to find out what mysteriously killed this family than Americans and Texans did to deterimine what killed US Supreme Court Judge Antonin Scalia?

No money, wallet, purse, jewelry, etc. was reported to be missing and authorities have completely discounted foul play and suicide. Sounds like it was probably a faulty gas line connection to the stove.

3/23/18

Iowa family found dead in Mexico resort of Tulum

Originally Posted by ALIPAC

So it was toxic gas? Probably CO Carbon Monoxide. Now the question is did the toxic gas get into their systems accidentally or did someone run a hose to an idling car or truck exhaust pipe and kill this whole family on purpose?

Posting in General Discussion until more info is available.

Isnt it interesting how Mexico did more to find out what mysteriously killed this family than Americans and Texans did to deterimine what killed US Supreme Court Judge Antonin Scalia?

BREAKING NEWS

Iowa family found dead in Mexico likely killed by water heater gas leak: official

A water heater that “was leaking gas, maybe from use or lack of maintenance" was likely the source of the toxic fumes that led to the deaths of an Iowa family last week in their Mexican vacation home, one of the country’s prosecutors revealed Monday.

Guess mexico does not use an aroma additive as gas is odorless. If they did, surely it could be smelled in the room.