Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Jun 05, 2025

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
Global News Roundup: From Ukraine's strategic military strikes and Russia's demands and Tensions Escalate in Ukraine, to serious legal issues faced by Britons in Bali and Trump's media criticism, the latest developments highlight a turbulent landscape
Majority of French Voters View Macron's Presidency as a Failure
Hungary Partners with China to Boost Electric Vehicle Production
‘Vibe Coding’ Emerges as the New DIY Trend
AI Pioneer Yoshua Bengio Warns Models Can Deceive Users
Big Four Firms Rush to Create AI Auditing Systems
Musk’s xAI Pursues $113 Billion Valuation in New Share Sale
Walmart Increases Revenue Despite Shrinking Workforce
Hims & Hers Plans UK and EU Launch of Replica Obesity Drugs
Toyota to Acquire Supplier in $33 Billion Buyout
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
China Accuses US of Violating Trade Truce
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
×