Three Americans were found dead at an Airbnb they rented out in Mexico City for a trip to celebrate the Day of the Dead, authorities and family said on Wednesday, November 9th.
Kandace Florence, 28, of Virginia Beach, had been staying at the Airbnb with high school friend Jordan Marshall, 28, also of Virginia Beach, along with Marshall’s friend Courtez Hall, relatives told NBC News and affiliate affiliate WAVY of Portsmouth, Virginia.
“It’s pretty disheartening at this point, the lack of response that we’ve received from the U.S. Embassy,” mother Jennifer Marshall said told NBC News on Wednesday from the family’s home in Virginia Beach.
“It’s just very disheartening that we’ve had to piece together, as to the demise of our son, based on social media report, based on investigative journalists but this is where we are at this point.”
Florence and Marshall are childhood friends from Virginia, according to Jennifer Marshall. The trio had been in the city to mark Día de los Muertos, an annual holiday traditionally held on Nov. 1 and 2 that honors the dead in a celebration of life and death, their relative have said.
Florence had been speaking with her boyfriend over the phone the night of Oct. 30 and told him she wasn’t feeling well, WAVY reported. At some point, the call dropped and Florence’s boyfriend was unable to reach her again, so he contacted the Airbnb host and asked if they could check on the group, the outlet reported.
When authorities arrived, they found all three of the Airbnb guests dead, WAVY reported. An official cause of death is still under investigation.
The Mexico City attorney general’s office did not immediately respond to a request from NBC News early Wednesday morning for an update on the investigation into the cause of death.
The State Department confirmed the deaths of three Americans in Mexico in a statement sent to NBC News on Wednesday morning.
“We are closely monitoring local authorities’ investigation into the cause of death. We stand ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance,” the department said. It did not confirm the identities of the deceased and said: “Out of respect for the privacy of the families, we have nothing further to add at this time.”
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