“Gummies” Found at Scene of Three Women’s Deaths in San Pedro

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police, told reporters this afternoon that the police are still investigating the deaths of three women found in their suite at the Royal Kahal Beach Resort in San Pedro on Saturday morning.

Williams stated, “The police did a thorough search of the scene, along with the pathologists and scenes of crime. There was nothing of substance that could have been found other than alcohol and some gummies.”

Williams added, “We’re not saying at this time that the gummies cause death, but we’re looking at every possibility.” He stated that police are investigating if the gummies were substances that they brought in from Belize or bought locally.

ComPol Williams confirmed that a postmortem examination by the National Forensic Service is scheduled for today or tomorrow to help determine the cause of death. He stated that police have reviewed surveillance footage that confirmed the women going in their room on Thursday and were not seen to exit the suite after that, adding that “nobody was seen going into the room.”

“We’re trying to do as best as we can, including to see where they may have gone on Thursday before they went home, what if anything they consumed. All these things we’re looking at,” Williams said.

The women were due to leave Belize on February 23rd, and their families have been in contact with the U.S. Embassy, which is assisting with the investigation. The women were identified as Kaoutar Naqqad (23), Imane Mallah (24), and Wafae El-Arar (26).

Williams also stated that “based on what the pathologist said when he visited on Saturday evening, is that they could have been dead 20 hours prior.”

The victims were of Moroccan descent holding U.S. citizenship and were discovered by hotel staff after they failed to respond to housekeeping checks. In the initial police investigation, it was reported that no signs of injury were found on their bodies, but that vomit and froth were found around the women’s mouths, leading authorities to suspect a possible drug overdose.