By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

ASPHYXIATION due to carbon monoxide poisoning was yesterday confirmed as the cause of death of three people who died at Sandals Emerald Bay in Exuma nearly two months ago.

“The Royal Bahamas Police Force initiated an investigation into the death of three visitors at the Sandals Emerald Bay Resort, situated on the island of Exuma in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas on Friday, May 6, 2022,” an RBPF press statement released yesterday said.

“At this juncture of the investigation, we can officially confirm that all three of the victims died as a result of asphyxiation due to carbon monoxide poisoning. This matter remains under active investigation.”

About two weeks after the deaths of married couple Michael and Robbie Phillips, from Maryville, Tennessee, and Vincent Paul Chiarella, of Florida, The Tribune was told by a reliable source that carbon monoxide poisoning was to blame for the fatalities.

Donnis Chiarella, wife of Paul Chiarella, was the lone survivor. The Chiarellas and the Phillips were found in separate villas in the hours after they sought medical attention for what was thought to be a mysterious illness causing vomiting and nausea.

Before the release of this update, Police Commissioner Paul Rolle yesterday said he received the death certificates on Monday.

“This is the cause of death,” he told The Tribune. “The toxicological report that goes to the coroner and the coroner may determine from that and hold an inquest and at the end of that inquest will determine who may be at fault or who is to take cause.

“For me is cause of death because cause of death will determine whether its a homicide or not and then once you know the cause of death you are to then satisfy yourself that there was no malice that there was no one who did that. So, in this case we kind of know but from the facts and the evidence it does not appear that there was a person in that.”