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As international travel becomes popular again, a recent mystery may make you second guess scheduling that trip.
Three American friends traveled to Mexico to celebrate the Mexican holiday Day of The Dead –which takes place Nov. 1 and 2– and their bodies were found in their Airbnb.
28-year-old Kandace Florence was staying at the rented residence with her friend Jordan Marshall from high school and his friend Courtez Hall.
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department released a statement to PEOPLE confirming that three Americans had died while staying in an apartment in La Rosita, Cuajimalpa de Morelo.
“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,” a State Department spokesperson tells PEOPLE. “Out of respect for the privacy of the families, we have nothing further to add at this time.”
On October 30, Florence was speaking to her boyfriend, Victor Day, and he mentioned that she wasn’t feeling well before the call dropped. He received texts from her saying she felt like she was drugged and took Molly, and during a Facetime call, she was crying and vomiting. Day tried contacting her again, and when she didn’t respond, he got worried and contacted the Airbnb’s host and asked them to check on the property. Soon after, authorities were contacted, and that’s when the three friends were found dead.
The attorney general’s office says that the Americans’ deaths could have derived from gas poisoning, likely carbon monoxide.
“After detecting an intense smell of gas in the apartment, security guards at a residential complex requested support from local authorities, the statement said, and the agents who arrived found the bodies of a woman and two men,” writes CNN.
Airbnb has since released a statement about the tragic deaths and is ready to assist anyone affected by the three deaths.
“Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones as they grieve such an unimaginable loss. Our priority right now is supporting those impacted as the authorities investigate what happened,” the rental company said in its statement.
