Beautiful Virgin Islands

Friday, Feb 20, 2026

Police name the Tennessee and Florida guests found dead at a Sandals resort in the Bahamas

Police name the Tennessee and Florida guests found dead at a Sandals resort in the Bahamas

The three Americans who died last week at a Sandals resort in the Bahamas were from Tennessee and Florida, and scientists and investigators are working to determine their causes of death, the island nation's police commissioner said Monday.

A pathologist is slated to conduct autopsies Monday, Royal Bahamas Police Force Commissioner Paul Rolle said. Foul play is not suspected in Friday's deaths, Bahamian acting Prime Minister Chester Cooper has said.

Authorities are working on plans to repatriate the bodies of the deceased, and arrangements have been made to hand over their belongings to their representatives in the United States, Rolle said.

Forensic scientists are collecting samples from the deceased, and a lab in Philadelphia is helping with toxicology examinations, Rolle said. The lab expects results will be ready within seven days, he said. Scientists also collected samples from the victims' rooms to check for contaminants, he said.

Officials declined to say whether any contaminants have been found in samples so far. Pathologists will provide an official report once the tests are complete, Rolle said.

Michael Phillips, 68, and his wife Robbie Phillips, 65, from Tennessee were declared dead at the resort Friday, as was Vincent Paul Chiarella, 64, of Florida, who was found unresponsive in a separate room, police said.

A fourth American -- Chiarella's 65-year-old wife, Donnis Chiarella -- was found with her husband. She was airlifted to a hospital in the Bahamian capital before being transferred to Miami's Kendall Hospital, where her condition was upgraded from serious to fair, said Jennifer Guerrieri, a spokesperson for Hospital Corporation of America's east Florida division.

Their son, Austin Chiarella, told ABC News his mother "woke up and my dad was laying there on the floor, and she couldn't move. Her legs and arms was swollen and she couldn't move and she screamed to get someone to come in the door."

Donnis Chiarella told her son she became ill Thursday but after she was released from a clinic, she "thought she was alright," according to ABC.

He said he was heartbroken over his father's death. "My dad was everything to me," he told ABC.

CNN's efforts to reach Austin Chiarella have been unsuccessful.

Victims went to doctor night before


All four victims sought medical treatment before they were found in their rooms, the police commissioner said. They had eaten at different restaurants, he added.

"They were seen by the doctor the night before, and that would have been around 11, and they were discovered the next morning. So, we have the timeline ... between 11 p.m. and 8:30 to 9 a.m.," Rolle said.

The three deaths at Sandals Emerald Bay resort on Great Exuma were also confirmed by Sandals spokeswoman Stacy Royal and the US State Department.

"We are closely monitoring local authorities' investigation into the cause of death. We stand ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance," the State Department said in a news release. "Out of respect for the privacy of the families, we have nothing further to add at this time."

Guests found unresponsive in resort villas


Resort staff alerted police shortly after 9 a.m. Friday that an unresponsive man had been found in a villa, police said. En route to the scene, police were told another man and woman were found unresponsive in another villa, the release said.

Police found in the first villa a "Caucasian male lying on the ground unresponsive" with no signs of trauma. A doctor pronounced him dead, police said. The woman who was hospitalized was found with him, Rolle said Saturday.

At the second villa, they found a second man "slumped against a wall in a bathroom unresponsive," and the woman was "found in a bedroom on a bed," the statement said.

"Both showed signs of convulsion," the release said. Neither showed signs of trauma. They were also pronounced dead by a doctor.

Cooper on Friday asked the nation's health and wellness minister to lead a delegation of health, environment and public works officials to the Exuma district. The Department of Environmental Health Services remained on the scene Monday, Rolle said.

"Nothing is more important to Sandals Resorts than the safety of our guests," the resort said in a statement, adding it is actively working to "support both the investigation as well as the guests' families in every way possible."

Sandals cannot disclose further information "out of respect for the privacy of our guests," it said.

CNN's Carlos Suarez, Eliott C. McLaughlin, Steve Almasy, Hira Humayun, Jason Hanna, Rebekah Riess, Sarah Jorgensen and Susannah Cullinane contributed to this report.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Early 2026 Data Suggests Tentative Recovery for UK Businesses and Households
UK Introduces Digital-First Passport Rules for Dual Citizens in Border Control Overhaul
Unable to Access Live Financial Data for January UK Surplus Report
UK ‘Working Closely with US’ to Assess Impact of Supreme Court Tariff Ruling
Trump Criticises UK Decision to Restrict Use of Bases in Potential Iran Strike Scenario
UK Foreign Secretary and U.S. State Chief Hold Strategic Talks as Tensions Rise Over Joint Air Base
King Charles III Opens London Fashion Week as Royal Family Faces Fresh Scrutiny
Trump’s Evolving Stance on UK Chagos Islands Deal Draws Renewed Scrutiny
House Democrat Says Former UK Ambassador Unable to Testify in Congressional Epstein Inquiry
No Record of Prince Andrew Arrest in UK as Claims Circulate Online
UK Has Not Granted US Approval to Launch Iran Strikes from RAF Bases, Government Confirms
UK Intensifies Efforts to Secure Saudi Investment in Next-Generation Fighter Jet Programme
Former Student Files Civil Claim Against UK Authorities After Rape Charges Against Peers Are Dropped
Archer Aviation Chooses Bristol for New UK Engineering Hub to Drive Electric Air Taxi Expansion
UK Sees Surge in Medical Device Testing as Government Pushes Global Competitiveness
UK Competition Watchdog Flags Concerns Over Proposed Getty Images–Shutterstock Merger
Trump Reasserts Opposition to UK Chagos Islands Proposal, Urges Stronger Strategic Alignment
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis advocates for a ban on minors using social media.
Liberal Senator Michaelia Cash Accuses Prime Minister of Lying to Australians
Meanwhile in Time Square, NYC One of the most famous landmarks
Jensen Huang just told the story of how Elon Musk became NVIDIA’s very first customer for their powerful AI supercomputer
A Lunar New Year event in Taiwan briefly came to a halt after a temple official standing beside President Lai Ching‑te suddenly vomited, splashing Lai’s clothing
Jillian Michaels reveals Bill Gates’ $55 million investment in mRNA vaccines turned into over $1 billion.
Ex-Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's arrested
Former British Prince Andrew Arrested on Suspicion of Misconduct in Public Office
Four Chagos Islanders Establish Permanent Settlement on Atoll
Unitree Robotics founder Wang Xingxing showcases future robot deployment during Spring Festival Gala.
UK Inflation Slows Sharply in January, Strengthening Case for Bank of England Rate Cut
Hide the truth, fake the facts, pretend the opposite, Britain is as usual
UK Inflation Falls to Ten-Month Low, Markets Anticipate Interest Rate Cut
UK House Prices Climb 2.4% in December as Market Shows Signs of Stabilisation
BAE Systems Predicts Sustained Expansion as Defence Orders Reach Record High
Pro-Palestine Activists Cleared of Burglary Charges Over Break-In at UK Israeli Arms Facility
Former Reform UK Councillors Form New Local Group Amid Party Fragmentation
Reform UK Pledges to Retain Britain’s Budget Watchdog as It Seeks Broader Economic Credibility
Miliband Defends UK-California Clean Energy Pact After Sharp Criticism by Trump
University of Kentucky to Host 2026 Summer Camps Fair Connecting Families with Local Programmes
UK Police Forces Assess Claims Jeffrey Epstein Used Stansted Airport Flights in Trafficking Network
UK-Focused Equity ETF FLGB Climbs to Fresh 52-Week Peak on Strong Market Sentiment
Trump Warns UK’s Chagos Islands Agreement Is a “Big Mistake” Amid Strategic Security Debate
Trump Urges UK to Retain Sovereignty Over Diego Garcia Amid Strategic Concerns
Italian Police Arrest Man After Alleged Attempt to Abduct Toddler at Bergamo Supermarket, Child Hospitalised With Fractured Femur
Reform UK Appoints Former Conservative Minister Robert Jenrick as Finance Chief
UK Unemployment Rises to Highest in Nearly Five Years as Labour Market Weakens
Rupert Lowe Advocates for English-Only Use in the UK
US Successfully Transports Small Nuclear Reactor from California to Utah
South Korea's traditional sand wrestling sport ssireum faces declining interest at home
Japan outlawed Islam
Virginia Giuffre accuses Epstein of trafficking to powerful men for blackmail.
New Mexico lawmakers initiate investigation into Zorro Ranch linked to Jeffrey Epstein
×