Greta Marie Otteson, 33, and her fiancé Arno Els Quinton, 36, d!ed in Vietnam in December 2024.
Their families are heartbroken and looking for justice.
The couple, who ran the Hoi An Silverbell Villa, d!ed after drinking homemade limoncello that had methanol in it.
The local authorities have established that the person d!ed from methanol poisoning.
A present for the holidays turns fatal
The parents of the couple have given more information regarding what happened before their de@ths.
Paul and Susan Otteson, Greta’s parents, said they had been to Vietnam to see their daughter and her fiancé barely a month before the tragedy.
They ate at an Italian restaurant named Good Morning Vietnam when they were there, and they were given free shots of limoncello.
Paul and Susan were so impressed with the drink that they decided to give Greta and Arno bottles of it as a Christmas gift.
According to BBC News, Greta told her parents on Christmas Day that she had a bad hangover and was seeing “black spots.”
She didn’t want to get medical care even though she was sick. The next morning, the couple was found de@d in different parts of their villa.
Looking for justice and accountability
The police investigation found that the limoncello had methanol in it, which is a poisonous alcohol that can k!ll you if you drink it.
The bartender who made the drink has been charged with breaking food safety rules by using medical-grade alcohol instead of the right ingredients. Authorities are holding him right now while the investigation is still going on.
Paul Otteson told BBC News that he was upset and said, “It’s about accountability.” We can’t go on.
He said that they couldn’t bury their daughter and her fiancé until they got justice. We want to put them to rest, but we don’t think we can until we get a right end, he said.
The Ottesons still have Greta and Arno’s ashes at their home in Wales. Paul said that one of the urns had a pink rabbit on top and the other has a blue bear on top, which was quite sad.
The bigger effects of methanol intoxication
This instance shows a worrisome tendency of methanol poisoning, especially in places where people drink homemade alcohol.
Methanol is often used in inexpensive, illegal alcohol since it costs less than ethanol, which is safe for people to drink.
Sadly, drinking methanol can cause permanent damage, such as blindness or de@th.
The Vietnamese government has said that if the barman is found guilty, he might go to jail for seven to fifteen years.
The Otteson family, on the other hand, has said that they are worried about the police not giving them updates and the restaurant not saying sorry.
“They just went on like nothing happened,” Paul Otteson said, adding that the restaurant has not taken responsibility for what transpired.
The Ottesons are still resolved to get justice for their daughter and her fiancé while the investigation goes on. They want to hold those responsible for the murders of two young individuals who had a lot of potential.