Parents struggle for answers over couple's contaminated homemade drink fatalities
The heartbroken family of a female who lost her life alongside her fiance after consuming tainted lemon-flavored alcohol say they are determined for answers.
The victim, 33, and her partner, thirty-six, were found dead on the day after Christmas in the tourist destination, the Southeast Asian country, as a outcome of toxic alcohol consumption.
A short time earlier, Greta had texted her mother and father, her loved ones, to say she had "an extremely bad headache imaginable" and was going to sleep, but she did not awaken.
The server who reportedly made the limoncello was arrested in the winter month and is being detained while under investigation. Her relatives say they have had minimal communication from the investigators.
"This is about answers," stated Greta's dad, adding: "They are unable to heal."
Toxic alcohol is a variety of compound often used in industrial supplies, gasoline and antifreeze.
This substance is similar to ethanol, which is intended for alcoholic drinks, but it is less expensive and more toxic to individuals because of the way it is handled by the organism.
At the family's residence in their community, their hometown, a pair of containers remain near the entryway – the first has a soft toy resting on top, the second, a plush bear.
They keep Greta and Arno's remains.
"The urns stay in the home with me and Susan," shared the father, a retired worker. "The family want to give them a final resting place, but we think we can't do that until we get a satisfactory resolution."
The woman had been staying in the coastal town with Arno, her South African fiance of approximately a couple of years, where the duo managed a guesthouse renting out rooms to visitors.
Greta was an only child, described by her dad as "wonderful", a "independent soul" and a "committed professional" who studied in Cardiff, Paris and America.
In the autumn month, the father, in his seventies and Susan, seventy, had flown to Vietnam, getting to know Arno for the very first moment, and the couple revealed their engagement shortly afterwards.
"Their time together proved lovely – everyone were so joyful," said Greta's parent, who referred to the man as "reserved but highly intelligent" and someone he "had hoped to have as a family member."
In their stay, the group enjoyed meals a number of times at Good Morning Vietnam, a well known Italian restaurant, where they liked the meals and received complimentary servings of handcrafted specialty drink at the conclusion.
Some weeks later, when the couple had left the country and were attempting to choose a seasonal offering for their daughter and her partner, they remembered the venue and its bottles of their specialty drink and decided to order a couple of them for shipping to their loved one's house.
The decision was a step that would have the most devastating results.
After a short time of consuming the drink, the woman messaged her family on Christmas Day to say she had a awful sickness and was noticing dizziness but ignored advice from her parents, and a friend who had come over, to obtain medical help.
The pair were pronounced dead in individual rooms of the home on the following day. Moments later, Paul and Susan were on a flight to Vietnam.
The father recalled the significant public rumors that came after as well as the difficulty to manage the logistics of dealing with a tragedy in a foreign country.
Soon not long before post mortem examinations confirmed Greta and Arno had passed away from severe methanol poisoning.
In February, authorities detained a bartender who was employed in a venue in Hoi An for "violating laws on consumable products" by "employing repurposed 70-degree medical grade alcohol, mixed with tap water, citrus rind and sweetener to make several units of limoncello."
According to national law, the violation could lead to a potential jail time of multiple years.
Many of victims are affected by methanol annually in South East Asia, as stated by charity organizations.
Their deaths came only weeks after multiple people were killed of similar causes in Laos, a nation which is next to Vietnam.
The family were told investigations require patience in the region, with the possibility of a suspect being held for a year before being formally accused or freed.
They shared the wait for resolution was becoming extremely difficult.
"I just want justice," stated Greta's dad. "We cannot heal. Susan questions every morning when we rise, 'any information? Is there changes?' I have to say 'no, no progress so far'."
"It's about accountability," he added. "Closure for the family would be naming the parties involved and taking legal action against them."
The couple mentioned they also felt "deeply disturbed" the establishment where they had requested the beverage was continuing business and had not openly apologised.
"The owners just continued as if nothing has taken place," remarked Paul.
Regarding the parents, the pain is still very intense.
Greta's dad