Three American women were found dead in a hotel room at a beach resort in Belize, police said Monday, adding that officials were investigating the deaths as possible drug overdoses.
Belize police identified the women as Kaoutar Naqqad, 23, Imane Mallah, 24, and Wafae El Arar, 26, of Revere, Mass., who were staying at the Royal Kahal Beach Resort.
According to police, housing staff attempted to contact them a number of times on Feb. 21 after surveillance footage showed them entering their rooms on the evening of Feb. 20 and not exiting the room again. After staff received no response by the morning of Feb. 22, they used a master key to enter and police say the women were found motionless.
“The bodies exhibited no signs of injuries,” Belize Police Commissioner Chester Williams said. “Police also saw inside the room what appeared to be vomiting beside each female.”
The cause of their deaths remained unconfirmed, but first responders said the women were found with froth on their mouths, suggesting a possible drug overdose. Police also say they will be testing to determine if carbon monoxide poisoning was a factor.
Police also report there were no signs of forced entry or visible injuries and officers found snacks, liquids, vapes and other electronic devices in the women’s room.
Belize authorities said they are still investigating but Patrick M. Keefe Jr., mayor of Revere, told Boston 25 News that he has concerns about the “lack of transparency in this investigation.”
“The information we have received thus far from the Belizean authorities leaves our grieving community with too many questions. These are daughters, friends, and contributors to our city,” Keefe said. “I have heard widespread concern from the families and community members about the lack of transparency in this investigation, and the media narrative painted by Belizean authorities.”
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Keefe also said he’s “deeply saddened” to learn of the deaths of Naqqad, El Arar and Mallah.
“Three young women who were valued members of the Revere community,” Keefe wrote in the statement. “On behalf of the entire city of Revere, I extend my condolences to their families and loved ones during this time of unimaginable loss.”
Keefe noted that he has reached out to local politicians to help get to the bottom of what led to the deaths of the three women.
“We will exhaust all avenues, both domestic and abroad, to ensure a proper and fair analysis of this case,” Keefe said. “I have been in contact with members of our federal delegation, including Senator Ed Markey and Whip Katherine Clark, and we will be working lockstep to bring answers to these families and their communities.”
The City of Revere shared a Facebook post extending its “heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the three local women who tragically and unexpectedly passed away in Belize.” The Facebook post also included GoFundMe links for each family.
El Arar’s family referred to her as a “bright, kind, and loving soul who touched the hearts of everyone she met.”
“We ask for your support to help cover funeral expenses and ease the financial burden during this difficult time. Any contribution, big or small, will be deeply appreciated by all of us,” El Arar’s family wrote.
El Arar’s GoFundMe post has raised more than $28,000 of its goal of $35,000 from 658 donations as of Wednesday afternoon. Naqqad’s family said her death has “deeply impacted all who knew her” and asked for donations to help “cover the funeral burial and transportation expenses to bring her back home to the United States.”
Naqqad’s GoFundMe post has raised over $25,000 of its goal of $35,000 from 511 donations as of Wednesday afternoon.
“With a heavy heart, I share the tragic loss of my beloved daughter, Imane, who passed away in a heartbreaking accident. No parent should ever have to endure such pain, and the grief is overwhelming,” Mallah’s father wrote on her GoFundMe page.
He said he is raising money to “honor Imane’s memory and cover the expenses related to her passing, including funeral and memorial costs.”
Mallah’s GoFundMe post has surpassed the goal of $35,000 from 730 donations as of Wednesday afternoon.
A vigil was held at a community mosque in Revere for the three women on Tuesday, where hundreds of people gathered to pay their respects to the families.
The investigation in Belize is ongoing.
—With files from The Associated Press
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