Maryland Couple Found Dead While Vacationing in the Dominican Republic

An American couple from Maryland were found dead in their hotel room while on vacation in the Dominican Republic, which adds to the increasing list of American victims on the country's soil just this year.

There has been quite an alarming rise in violence against tourists in the Dominican Republic, and the most recent victims are Edward Nathaniel Holmes, 63, and Cynthia Ann Day, 49.

The couple was found dead in their hotel room after allegedly suffering from respiratory failure and pulmonary edema, which is caused by excess fluid in the lungs. They were found when they missed their scheduled checkout time at the Bahia Principe Hotel in La Romana.

No foul play?

Hotel staff proceeded to call the police, and the bodies were since then transported to the Dominican National Institute of Forensic Sciences for autopsy reports.

According to Frank Felix Duran Mejia of the Dominican Republic National Police, hotel staff went to their room to check on the couple, but they were found unresponsive. The police then confirmed that various maintenance medicines were found in their room.

The couple was engaged and were set to head home to Prince George's County, Maryland, the day that they were found dead.

The resort where they were found also released a statement, saying that they are saddened by what had happened.

"We are deeply saddened by the incident at one of our hotels in La Romana, Dominican Republic, and want to express our deepest condolences to their family and friends."

A Similar Fate

Just last March, a couple from New York also died during their trip to the Dominican Republic, also on the day they were set to go home.

Orlando Moore and Portia Ravenelle were supposed to head home to New York on March 27 but ended up missing on the night they drove to the airport.

To make it to the airport, the couple decided to rent the same car they used for sightseeing, but Ravenelle was hesitant to drive in the area at night.

Crimes at Night

While on their drive to El Limon, Ravenelle shared that the rental company told them not to stop and open their windows for anyone because locals know which cars are from a rental and they try to rob the tourists.

When they were back at the hotel, they met at 8:30 PM to go to the disco. The couples split a bottle of rum, but Orlando and Portia were anxious to leave because they were worried about their trip to the airport.

Just like the Maryland couple, Portia and Orlando never made it out of the country alive.