Three American friends’ vacation to Mexico to turned into an all too literal day of the dead.
According to the news station Wavy, 28-year-old Kandace Florence (above, left), 28-year-old Jordan Marshall (above, right), and 33-year-old Courtez Hall (above, center) were staying at an Airbnb in Mexico last month to celebrate Dia de Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. But something went horribly wrong.
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During a phone conversation with her boyfriend back home on October 30, Kandace said she suddenly felt something was wrong and became sick. But the call got disconnected, and her boyfriend wasn’t able to get back in contact with Kandace again. Her concerned BF reached out to the Airbnb host to see if they could do a welfare check. But by the time law enforcement arrived at the scene, Kandace, Jordan, and Courtez were already dead. A US State Department spokesperson told People of the situation:
“We can confirm the death of three U.S. citizens in Mexico. We are closely monitoring local authorities’ investigation into the cause of death. We stand ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance. Out of respect for the privacy of the families, we have nothing further to add at this time.”
What happened?! It seems pretty clear no one has any idea yet. Which of course makes this all the more chilling…
We cannot imagine what their loved ones must be going through right now. Since their deaths, some of the families spoke out about what happened, including Jordan’s sister Jasmine Marshall. She recalled finding out about the news after receiving a message on social media on Halloween, telling WTKR:
“I saw my brother’s name and I read it, and my heart sank, and the hardest thing was to break the news to my mom.”
Jordan’s mother, Jennifer Marshall, said all of the families still have no idea what the official cause of death for the three friends, saying:
“The Mexican police were not very forthcoming with information. Also, the language barrier was incredibly difficult as well.”
Even if they spoke the same language… it seems like the police down there are still in the dark, too. It’s one thing for a single person to fall ill, but all three in such a short time? That implies some kind of environmental factor, maybe even poisoning, right?
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Kandace’s mom, Frieda Florence, also opened up to the outlet about her daughter’s sudden death, expressing:
“The biggest question was ‘Where do we start?’”
Talking about her daughter’s life, Frieda shared that she had started a candle company and hoped to spread positivity with her business:
“Think of positivity and mindfulness, and love the moment you’re in.”
Meanwhile, Courtez’s mom Ceola Hall told WDSU that he had been a social studies teacher at KIPP Memorial School in New Orleans and that he was a light in everyone’s lives:
“My son was a joyous child. He loved me, he loved his family. He loved to make everyone laugh.”
She and his sisters last spoke with Courtez days before receiving a call from the US Embassy that the three were found dead. According to Ceola, the embassy wasn’t able to give her any details about how her son passed away either:
“It’s been so hard. We tried calling back over there for the funeral homes. Because of the language barrier and stuff you cannot get anything through or really understand. I would hate to see any parents go through what I went through with my son, I didn’t expect to hear this about my son. No one expects that.”
The investigation into the mysterious deaths is still ongoing. This is such a heartbreaking situation. We are keeping the families of Kandace, Jordan, and Courtez in our thoughts during this difficult time.
[Image via Kandace Florence/Jordan Marshal/Courtez Hall/Facebook/MGM/YouTube]
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