Norwegian Woman And American Woman Die Of Unknown Causes on Koh Phi Phi

[caf]

Puffer Fish is nothing new to Thailand. This does seem a likely scenario as many deaths occur within 24 hours, at which time most patients begin to improve. What is certain is these people were poisoned and nobody has take any responsibility to find out how or to prevent it from happening again. It seems to me if someone young and healthy dies even the most pathetic of police agencies would be bothered to go over to the guest house involved, knock on a few doors and ask questions, which could have prevented the death of second victim. Needless to say cheep guest houses will not take responsibility for anything, its no surprise the owner showed zero sympathy for the victims, felt no responsibility for their welfare, and blamed them for being tourist "drinking" as their cause of death.

_________________________________________________________________

Thursday, August 23, 2007

BANGKOK, Thailand — In Thailand, it's a fish dish that kills. A doctor says unscrupulous vendors have been selling meat from the highly poisonous puffer fish disguised as salmon. That's resulted in the deaths of more than 15 people over the past three years. Some 115 people have been hospitalized.

Although it was banned in Thailand five years ago, puffer fish continues to be sold in large quantities at local markets and restaurants.

The ovaries, liver and intestines of the puffer fish contain a poison so potent that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it can "produce rapid and violent death."

In Japan, the fish is called fugu (foo-goo) and is prepared by highly trained chefs and consumed by thrill-seeking Japanese gourmets.

Every year, there are reports of people dying or falling sick in Asia from eating puffer fish.

________________________________________________________________________________

Pufferfish Poisoning in Thailand

Wednesday, September 12, 2007 Paul Auerbach, M.D.

A recent news report commented upon the fact that vendors in Thailand have been selling puffer fish meat and calling it salmon. According to a reporting physician in Thailand, this disguised (dyed in some cases) puffer fish meat has caused at least 15 deaths over the past year.

Certain puffers ("blowfish," "globefish," "swellfish," "porcupinefish," and so on) contain tetrodotoxin, one of the most potent poisons in nature. These fish are prepared as a delicacy (fugu) in Japan and elsewhere by specially trained and licensed chefs. People intentionally eat puffer fish for the culinary thrill, which when causing the sought-after effects, generates a set of minor, non-debilitating symptoms of what can become a very serious, even fatal, intoxication (see below).

The toxin is found in the entire fish (including the flesh, or "meat"), with greatest concentration in the liver, intestines, reproductive organs, and skin. After the victim has eaten the fish, symptoms can occur as quickly as 10 minutes later or be delayed by a few hours. These include numbness and tingling around the mouth, lightheadedness, drooling, sweating, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, weakness, difficulty walking, paralysis, difficulty breathing, and collapse. As noted above, this ingestion can be fatal. Tetrodotoxin is also found in other animals; for instance, it is the toxin responsible for the potentially lethal bite of the Indo-Pacific blue-ringed octopus.

If someone is suspected or known to be suffering from puffer poisoning, he or she should immediately be transported to a hospital. Pay attention to their ability to breathe, and assist breathing if necessary. This may necessitate using a bag-valve-mask device, or in the absence of a doctor or emergency medical technician, using mouth-to-mouth breathing, preferably with a barrier shield.

Unfortunately, there is no antidote for tetrodotoxin poisoning, and the victim will need sophisticated medical management until the toxin is eliminated from the body. Eating puffers, unless they are prepared by the most skilled chefs, is dietary Russian roulette. Persons should now, obviously, be extremely careful when purchasing fish from vendors in Thailand.

"many deaths occur within 24 hours, at which time most patients begin to improve. !!!!"

the real issue is why this is being covered up, there is little now in the thai english press becaue noone is going to be allowed to say or write anything that will adversely affect tourism revenues on the island. that is the bottom line. the thais will say what they are told to say. it will not be their fault

keeping this thread alive may just get something positive happening

[sriracha john]

According to Jill St. Onge's family blog, her fiance Ryan Kells had now arrived back in the USA with Jill's cremated ashes.

=========================================

Also, new article at Phuket Wan....

Why Pursuing the Truth Matters for Tourism

Phuketwan Opinion/Analysis

WE ARE no closer to knowing what killed two young tourists in strange circumstances on Phi Phi, and we hope the answer comes soon.

One important aspect that springs from the Laleena Guesthouse tragedy is the need for people to know precisely what took place, as soon as possible.

In some quarters within the tourism industry in Thailand (and elsewhere) the first reaction probably still is to keep the truth from the public.

Phuketwan has been told more than once that an article should not be written '' because if this gets out, it will damage the tourism industry.''

article continues here:

http://phuketwan.com/tourism/why-pursuing-...-tourism-11084/

Edited May 10, 2009 by sriracha john

[Junglejumbo]

I've just seen a pic of the guest house and what appears to be perhaps a waste water treatment "plant" although it looks a bit amateur. A funnel is pointing directly up and towards room 4 and 5 which both look like they're at the back or side of the building. This would explain why other rooms may not be affected.

[brahmburgers]

I've just seen a pic of the guest house and what appears to be perhaps a waste water treatment "plant" although it looks a bit amateur. A funnel is pointing directly up and towards room 4 and 5 which both look like they're at the back or side of the building. This would explain why other rooms may not be affected.

It could be that some malfunction of the waste water plant existed when the deaths occurred. The guest house manager became aware of it afterwards, and corrected it. Inspectors came around several days (too long) later and find nothing amiss. What malfunction could befall a waste water plant, you may ask? Some possibilities:

>>> a toxic chemical unwittingly dumped in there. Thailand is many things, but it's still a culture where waste is often disposed of irresponsibly.

>>> a vent which should be open, is blocked. Similarly, toxic gas venting out someplace it shouldn't.

In a way, I feel sorry for the guest house owner, but laments about loss of business become insignificant when compared to the real possibility that something amiss at the premises may likely have cause severe sickness to four guests, resulting in death to two. The owner is hiding something, and the investigators need to use all their skills and intelligence to find out what. Where is Cheney and his water board when you need him?

Thais hope this will blow over a.s.a.p. Dear Ms Pornthip, you're needed immediately at Phi Phi island.

[Absingjul]

This is currently the 3rd most read story on cnn.com

http://www.cnn.com/mostpopular/

[kriswillems]

ok, I agree it's unlikely it's pufferfish because these people ate different meals. But I also want to say that most people that eat puffer fish don't know they are eating fish. It's just being used as a replacement for meat.

The coolant used in air conditioners is not poisoned. Further on both rooms probably used different air conditioners. The chance they both have a lethal problem is pretty small.

Did the cleaning lady mix bleach with ammonia causing Cl2 gass to escape? Or was it the water cleaning plant?

This was not a normal waste water plant. The water was cleaned by letting it pass through a field of water plants. Normally no chemicals should be used, except maybe in the last step where Chlorine might be added to disinfect the water. I am wondering what would happen when this Chlorine would escape or when it would be mixed with the incoming dirty water (so not in the last step), would it react with the ammonia in the dirty water?

Is it possible that the plants produced insufficient oxygen for the bacteria to make CO2? Was this the reason other toxic products could be created?

I think if the water cleaning plant is the reason it will never be made public.

Anyway, it looks nice:

http://www.ubertramp.com/component/option,...10/page,inline/

[CFIT]

I'd like to know why, since the cause of death has YET to be determined, therefore it is not KNOWN if a criminal act took place, why was the American's body cremated already? And why is the Norwegian woman's PRELIMINARY autopsy report out, but not St. Onge's, who died first ?

Great comment regarding PhuketWan's great editorial; http://phuketwan.com/tourism/why-pursuing-...-tourism-11084/

Comment

The manner in which the two deaths and the associated illnesses were investigated has been deplorable. Inaccurate and misleading information has been circulated, and a complete disregard for basic data/sample collection methodology demonstrated. It helps if there actually is a thorough investigation and if all expected sources of poisoning are examined. To the best of my knowledge, the water supply was not sampled to include all possible sources of contamination, including the wells, the water used in the guest house and most importantly the waste water site adjacent to the guest house.

The message I take away from this is that the Thai national authorities neither value the safety of tourists nor care about the negative consequences.

For a country where losing face is a primary concern, maybe the people in charge need to look in the mirror because theirs are covered in egg.

Posted by Qualified Observer on Sunday May 10, 2009 at 10:09 on PhuketWan comment page

Edited May 10, 2009 by CFIT

[CFIT]

Here the proprietor of Laleena seeks to connect the deaths to full moon parties , only the full moon was last night May 9th and the women died May 3rd and 4th

http://phuketwan.com/tourism/phi-phi-death...ty-night-11087/

WITH its two distinct 24-hour phases, [ sic, 12 hour] Phi Phi is designed for mystery. By day, it is a charming, if crowded, place where the island's beauty still shines.

By night, it becomes one big party in paradise, where many young people often socialise until the wee small hours, and drink to excess.

They wander the island's walkways with ''Buckets'' of alcohol, mixed to include fruit and perhaps energy drinks, to their own individual taste preference.

Edited May 10, 2009 by LivinginKata
Only first 3 paras of Phuket Wan may be copied

[CFIT]

And 4 days later, May 8th the Nation has a report, buried online repeating the unfounded cassava rumour reference from ScandAsia report.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/worldhotne...deaths-in-South

Mysterious tourist deaths in South

By The Nation

Published on May 8, 2009

Authorities are investigating the strange death of two women tourists on Ko Phi Phi last weekend.

Initial speculation from police has been that the women - one from Norway and the other American - may have suffered food poisoning.

Jill Sheree St Onge, 27, from Seattle, and Julie Michelle Bergheim, 22, died within hours of one another and both reportedly suffered severe stomach pains prior to dying.

The women stayed in adjacent rooms in the Laleena Guest House, which has been closed while their deaths are investigated and autopsies conducted.

St Onge's fiance, American Russell Kells has been quoted as saying he was struck by a chemical smell when he entered the room on Saturday.

However, there has since been speculation that the women may have eaten cassava that was not properly cooked.

[ unfounded rumour based on erroneous info first reported in ScanAsia report]

Police say they have yet to get results of autopsies.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

And this on the body found on the beach in neighboring Krabi

Meanwhile, a Swiss woman was found dead early yesterday on a popular beach at Krabi.

The body of Edith Jungen, aged about 30, was found in shallow water on Noppharat Beach in Tambon Ao Nang in Krabi's Muang district. The strap of Jungen's handbag was tied around her neck.

Krabi's deputy governor Chailert Pinyoratchote told a press conference yesterday afternoon the case did not appear to be a murder. An initial medical examination found no trace of physical assault or rape.

Officials would wait for autopsy results in two days.

Dr Kamolrat Jintanawilas from Krabi Hospital said an initial examination found no major wounds, except a slight scratch on the woman's forehead, thus it was more likely to be a drowning.

Lieut Colonel Wittaya Meklai said Jungen arrived at Andaman Sunset Hotel on Tuesday and checked out a day later before she was found dead not far from the hotel. Inquiries revealed a male foreign friend picked her up from the hotel after she checked out, he said.

Police were looking to see if young thugs may have come to rob her valuables, as tourists often sit near the beach in the evening. She may have resisted and been strangled with the bag strap before thieves fled with her belongings.

Witnesses told of seeing her in an agitated state. There had also been a report of a phone call from Switzerland allegedly asking the hotel to open her room and take care of her because she feared someone would attack her.

Police were also probing to see if Jungen may have committed suicide.

[CFIT]

Can you post that link or the full name of the source, VG? Thanks

Incidentally, the man in uniform sitting on the bed is not a police officer, he is a volunteer " Tourist Police" foreigner.

Note the lack of any equipment, gloves, face masks. etc. and the door wide open..

Investigation ??

WHAT A JOKE !!!

VG story today:

Thai police checks for toxic gas that may have leaked into the room where Julie Michelle Bergheim (22) and Jill St. Onge (26) slept in before they died.

The local Phi Phi police can not determine why the two young women from Norway and the United States died. .....

.

Edited May 10, 2009 by CFIT

[Sabum]

Like i said earlier, it is a national passtime but lets call it policy: to cover up murders of foreigners and muddle the facts of foreigners killed by Thai mistakes and incompetence. Make it look like a suicide if possible, accident that can be blamed on the victim at the least. If anyone missed it, the authorities have already been telling local newspapers NOT TO PUBLISH THE STORIES ABOUT THESE DEATHS, as it would hurt tourism, can you believe this crap?

[kenai]

Jill St. Onge's photo was the first thing I saw when turning computer on today (AOL Netscape) and link to the CNN article. With more attention as this spreads through cyberspace, hopefully it will pressure Thai authorities to do a thorough and honest investigation. Also perhaps these articles will gather the attention of Investigative Journalist from the outside. We will never get Investigative Journalist from our 2 big english papers here - just more cut and paste... if even.

I have been following all of this daily as many here have. I do not know much about food-poisoning, so perhaps I go against this theory to fast.

But the fact that the 2 survivors reported smelling a bad or chemical smell in the air - that alone makes me think that smell was the source. Either by inhalation or it ended up in the food or water. When we travel often there is a complimentary bottle in the room. As they got sick they may have drank more to rehydrate unknowingly making it worse.

I have been to many guest houses in Thailand and to me a chemical smell is not common. Typically not even the bleaches or cleaners you would smell in hotels in the US. The cleaning here is mainly done with water and labor - in order to save money. So to me that is out of the ordinary and to coincidental. Was there anything out of the ordinary taking place there - use of pesticides etc?

I have experience with the affects of H2S gas, I worked in detection and monitoring of it on off-shore oil rigs. Its a very deadly gas. It does also form in waste-water treatments especially ones in warmer climates - it is a by-product of the break-down of organic material. It will smell like rotten eggs at a low level and sweeter at higher levels. However - It may not have any detectable smell for some people and the gas can basically deaden your ability to smell over time or immediately. On oil-rigs one breath of this gas coming from the earth can kill you.

I'm not by any means saying this is what it was but I do feel the waste-water treatment should without a doubt be investigated very thoroughly. If H2S can be ruled out immediately there are likely countless chemicals there that can also sicken and kill.

Edited May 10, 2009 by kenai

[Thaddeus]

the authorities have already been telling local newspapers NOT TO PUBLISH THE STORIES ABOUT THESE DEATHS, as it would hurt tourism, can you believe this crap?

According to a friend of mine, whose wife has been following this story on Thai T.V. Some of the news programs are saying that the deaths were caused by an overdose of sleeping pills ...... just incredible isn't it.

[MisterMan]

This is currently the 3rd most read story on cnn.com

http://www.cnn.com/mostpopular/

So perhaps the story needs to be read and re-read and re-read an re-read so it stays up there.

I wonder if popularity is counted by clicks or unique users...

Google News has 146 stories about it.

http://news.google.com/news/more?pz=1&...MMuyaizhqgqISLM

[Soupdragon]

Phuketwan have published an article stating that the police have said the autopsy results will be available in 10 days time. So the estimate for the autopsy has gone from months to weeks and now days. Seems things can get done if pressure is applied.

Full article here Phuketwan.

[brahmburgers]

But the fact that the 2 survivors reported smelling a bad or chemical smell in the air - that alone makes me think that smell was the source. Either by inhalation or it ended up in the food or water. When we travel often there is a complimentary bottle in the room. As they got sick they may have drank more to rehydrate unknowingly making it worse.

I have been to many guest houses in Thailand and to me a chemical smell is not common. Typically not even the bleaches or cleaners you would smell in hotels in the US. The cleaning here is mainly done with water and labor - in order to save money. So to me that is out of the ordinary and to coincidental. Was there anything out of the ordinary taking place there - use of pesticides etc?

I have experience with the affects of H2S gas, I worked in detection and monitoring of it on off-shore oil rigs. Its a very deadly gas. It does also form in waste-water treatments especially ones in warmer climates - it is a by-product of the break-down of organic material. It will smell like rotten eggs at a low level and sweeter at higher levels. However - It may not have any detectable smell for some people and the gas can basically deaden your ability to smell over time or immediately. On oil-rigs one breath of this gas coming from the earth can kill you.

I'm not by any means saying this is what it was but I do feel the waste-water treatment should without a doubt be investigated very thoroughly. If H2S can be ruled out immediately there are likely countless chemicals there that can also sicken and kill.

It's worth noting that in one room (the 2 Norwegians'), neither of the women were up and about during the day. The maid later said that, late in the afternoon, near evening, she knocked and entered the room and found them both very ill. The maid was surprised that neither had come out earlier to seek help. The point here, is the chemical agent appears to have been seriously debilitating - to the extent of rendering the girls nearly non-functional (rather like LPG or carbon monoxide affixiation). The story from the engaged couple is similar, although the young man mentioned he had often left the room to get fresh air. That, more than any other factor, probably ensured he didn't succumb and die from whatever lethal agent was in those rooms or in the water they drank.

I commend Phuketwan for their coverage and for their pleas for authorities to do the right thing, and not continue to cover this up.

After following this story intensely since it broke, I'm concerned that the water supplied by the guest house may have been chemically contaminated. This could have come from the water supplier (maybe just a few bad bottles had gotten through on the supply end), - or possibly if a guest house employee had decided to recycle a water bottle, and mistakenly put a toxic chemical in it. Are there types of insecticides which are relatively tasteless?

Edited May 10, 2009 by brahmburgers

[balo]

Can you post that link or the full name of the source, VG? Thanks

Incidentally, the man in uniform sitting on the bed is not a police officer, he is a volunteer " Tourist Police" foreigner.

Note the lack of any equipment, gloves, face masks. etc. and the door wide open..

Investigation ??

WHAT A JOKE !!!

VG story today:

Thai police checks for toxic gas that may have leaked into the room where Julie Michelle Bergheim (22) and Jill St. Onge (26) slept in before they died.

The local Phi Phi police can not determine why the two young women from Norway and the United States died. .....

.

Sure , this is the story that was published yesterday:

http://www.vg.no/nyheter/utenriks/artikkel.php?artid=572492

I agree about the picture , the police seems to have no clue what to do......

Edited May 10, 2009 by balo

[Junglejumbo]

The photo in the post above doesn't show the police checking for any gas in the room--it shows one sitting and the others chattering. Anyhow showing up nearly a week after the event what do they expect to find?

I told posters about the police not wearing uniform in one of my previous posts.....see what I mean? Phi Phi like Koh Tao and Koh Pangnan have useless police forces. They're clique and know everybody by their nicknames. Noway they're going to find someone guilty. Just I help you, you help me or my fam.

If Thailand wants to do something about this, they'll have to send someone down from Bangkok but that will depend on the police chief here and they're all too busy with politics. So all depends on Abhisit who's too busy taking a vocation (probably not in Phi Phi).....

[Junglejumbo]

I LIKE TO REQUEST THAI VISA.COM TO KEEP THIS SUBJECT ON THEIR FRONT PAGE FOR EASY REFERENCE UNTIL THE CRIME OR OTHERWISE IS RESOLVED.

OBEDIENT POSTER

[rob1967uk]

At first i thought it may be Legionnaires' Disease,but it takes a few days inside the human body.

The symptoms of legionnaires disease are the same as these people suffered.

[moobie]

Some considerations if the cause is indeed from a toxic gas -

Forgive me if I'm wrong but looking at the various photographs of the guesthouse there does not seem to be any vents/out pipes from the rooms into the atmosphere outdoors? Could it be that a toxic gas entered the room via the bathroom drains and could not escape?

If so then trace elements may still be found on the room curtains - doubt they have been changed since.

Could somebody have tried to clear a blocked drain with some chemical or perhaps a backflow of water-bourne pesticide, etc. if these rooms were "down-flow" and the vapour was heavier than air it may answer why others were not similarly affected?

Naturally the above is speculation but....

Perhaps the survivors of this incident should be contacted to give further details of the smell and an indication from where they thought it eminated - this may sound awful since they are both still in grief but if the potential cause is cyclic or a standard response to some "fault" then there is potential for it to happen again.

[sriracha john]

Room 5 (left) and Room 4 on the ground floor at Laleena, open to a walkway on the young people's holiday island of Phi Phi.

It's worth noting that in any discussion of toxic fumes or tainted water or some other cause related to proximity at the guesthouse... that, according to recent reports, both rooms directly above Rooms 4 and 5 were also occupied with guests when the deaths occurred.

[CFIT]

The nation removed the the article regarding the two deaths and blaming cassava root, is now back, grouped with " Strangled tourist.." but not included under " Top Stories " but headline " Swiss tourist found strangled..." article, is.

Yeah, major distraction from the story is under way

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/worldhotne...deaths-in-South

Go to the The Nation Blog and leave a comment, ( registration required. )

http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/ChristySw...9/05/10/entry-1

BANGKOK POST IS IGNORING THE STORY ENTIRELY

[CFIT]

I LIKE TO REQUEST THAI VISA.COM TO KEEP THIS SUBJECT ON THEIR FRONT PAGE FOR EASY REFERENCE UNTIL THE CRIME OR OTHERWISE IS RESOLVED.

OBEDIENT POSTER

SECOND THAT And maybe its time for a protest of our own !

[brahmburgers]

Some considerations if the cause is indeed from a toxic gas -

Forgive me if I'm wrong but looking at the various photographs of the guesthouse there does not seem to be any vents/out pipes from the rooms into the atmosphere outdoors? Could it be that a toxic gas entered the room via the bathroom drains and could not escape?

If so then trace elements may still be found on the room curtains - doubt they have been changed since.

Could somebody have tried to clear a blocked drain with some chemical or perhaps a backflow of water-bourne pesticide, etc. if these rooms were "down-flow" and the vapour was heavier than air it may answer why others were not similarly affected?

Naturally the above is speculation but....

Perhaps the survivors of this incident should be contacted to give further details of the smell and an indication from where they thought it eminated - this may sound awful since they are both still in grief but if the potential cause is cyclic or a standard response to some "fault" then there is potential for it to happen again.

Good point moobie! I do plumbing in Thailand, and rarely, perhaps in one building out of 100, is there proper venting (aka soil stack). Sometimes there are 'P traps" or such under sinks, but I'd venture less that 1 in a 1,000 showers have 'traps' in their drainage. If there's any venting at all, there may be a little 1/2" pipe sticking up from the septic. BTW, those large black/blue plastic septic tanks you see for sale in Thailand are very badly designed. They leave very little space for build-up of crud.

Could be that a toxic chemical got in to the septic system (or cess pool, if that's what Laleena has) and fumes rose up and entered rooms.

Edited May 11, 2009 by brahmburgers

[Scott]

I would think that if it was sewer gas, hydrogen sulfide etc. that it would be a noticable smell. Not that you might not get accustomed to it, but for the guy who went in and out it would probably be noticable.

If there was a toxic substance put in the sewage disposal system, this should be rather easily identifiable. I hope that they find out soon.

I have to give the officials the benefit of the doubt on this, since it might require some scientific investigating and that might take some time. I just hope they do it and do it correctly.

[hhgz]

"Did the cleaning lady mix bleach with ammonia causing Cl2 gass to escape? "

Wouldn't that have killed the cleaning lady too?

[Maxi101]

Bitter is that it is very likely that Thai policeman or whoever - which are not involved - are easy on tending to make ghost responsible for the happenings.

Sounds cynical, but for unexplainable phenomena superstition is easily pulled by there

as explanation.

maxi

Edited May 11, 2009 by Maxi101

[CFIT]

This author started the cassava rumour, based on initial reports police quoted that cyanide was found in Bergheim's stomach

( since recanted by Thai police )

Note: " According to a Seattle newspaper Thai authorities will not allow Jill St. Orge’s family bring her body home for an independent autopsy, and instead are planning to cremate her body."

http://www.scandasia.com/viewNews.php?coun...mp;news_id=5432

New theories and questions on women's death in Phi Phi By Charlotte Lund Dideriksen Recent theories are emerging in the mysterious death the Norwegian Julie Michelle Bergheim and American women Jill St. Orge who were vacationing in Thailand. Now the boyfriend of Jill St. Onge, Ryan Kell, says he believes St. Onge may have died of fumes emanating from a nearby water treatment plant.

"I found out later that there is a water treatment plant right behind the guesthouse," Ryan Kell is quoted as saying in the story posted by the Andaman Times.

"I feel that Jill was poisoned by a chemical from that plant. She spent about five more hours in the room than I did. She was just breathing in the fumes for so long," Ryan Kell wrote in a posting on a family blog.

"The only reason I did not get deathly ill, is that I kept getting these short breaks from the air in the room."

Besides the possibility of fumes from the water treatment plant a number of other theories about what may have caused the two deaths. They include poisoning from food or alcohol and energy drinks, tainted water, cyanide poisoning from an unknown source, or carbon monoxide poisoning.

The cyanide theory was mentioned in an article by a Norwegian newspaper, which reported that traces of the deadly chemical were found in Bergheim's body.

But the Andaman Times now reports that police officials have denied any finding of cyanide.

"There are no traces of cyanide. ... This may be a misunderstanding by the Norwegian newspaper," a police source in Krabi told the Andaman Times. However, the Norwegian newpaper, Nettavisen, says it is standing behind its report that cyanide was found, based on reports it received from Thailand.

According to a Seattle newspaper Thai authorities will not allow Jill St. Orge’s family bring her body home for an independent autopsy, and instead are planning to cremate her body.

"No one knows what happened," said brother og [sic]the death woman Robert St. Onge to the newspaper.

An autopsy was performed overseas, but it was not clear how long it would take to get the results. Estimates ranged from two weeks to several months. The St. Onge family requested blood and tissue samples in order to conduct an independent analysis.

__________________________________________

Can you confirm the above, Robb? They are threatening to cremate the body??

Edited May 11, 2009 by CFIT

[Priceless]

[...]

Can you confirm the above, Robb? They are threatening to cremate the body??

If you had bothered to read the thread in which you are posting, you would have known (see e.g. post #242) that her fiancé has already arrived back in the USA with her ashes.

/ Priceless