Friend of woman who died alongside her fiancé after drinking limoncello recalls final moments he spent with them
Topics: Travel, World News, Food and Drink, Health
Poppy Bilderbeck
Featured Image Credit: Facebook/Greta Otteson
Topics: Travel, World News, Food and Drink, Health
A friend of Greta Marie Otteson and her fiancé Els Arno Quinton has opened up about what happened when he visited the pair the day after they drank contaminated alcohol, leading to their deaths.
Greta Marie Otteson, 33, and Els Arno Quinton, 36, were found passed away in a villa on Boxing Day, 2024 in Hoi An, Vietnam.
Early investigations suspect the recently engaged couple consumed a ‘homemade’ limoncello tainted with methanol - a highly toxic industrial chemical - on Christmas Eve.
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A source, who spoke to The Times, said: “Police forensics established the limoncello, which had been delivered, was the source.”
A Quang Nam Provincial Police spokesperson stated at the time: "There were no signs of ransacking at the scene. The victims' belongings and phones were untouched."
Now, a friend of the pair, named Todd Ford, has since opened up about seeing them on Christmas Day at around 10pm and Otteson describing seeing 'black spots' and experiencing 'the worst hangover ever'.
Ford told The Sunday Times he went to check on Quinton after Otteson said he would be in a room with his musical equipment and computer in, but 'didn't see any lights on in the room'.
He asked Otteson if she wanted him to 'break the door down' but she voiced he simply 'probably fell asleep playing his video games' and that Quinton's 'hangover [was] probably even worse than [hers]'.
"She wasn’t concerned. But I believe in hindsight that he probably had already [died] at that stage because he consumed a lot more than her," Ford added.
Ford said he sat chatting to Otteson while she was 'cosy in her pyjamas in bed' with 'her little rescue dog Bambi in the bed with her'.
When she said she'd been having 'some vision issues that were worrying her' despite the hangover 'subsiding,' Ford said he suggested going with her to hospital.
Otteson reportedly responded: "I don’t know if it’s worth it. I’m probably being overly sensitive. Maybe I can just sleep it off."
Otteson and Quinton were later discovered passed away the next day by caretakers.
On Friday (February 7), Quang Nam province police announced it had arrested the bartender of a restaurant in Hoi An, a 46-year-old man called Le Tan Gia.
A statement to the police's Facebook page reads: "At 3.30pm on December 24, 2024, Le Tan Gia - a bartender of a restaurant in the city Hoi An - used 70-degree medical alcohol (the type used only for disinfection, not to be drunk or used in food processing), mixed with filtered water, lemon peel and white sugar to create two bottles of Limoncello wine (liqueur), then delivered to two tourists.
"After drinking, both suffered serious methanol poisoning, leading to death. The case is currently being further investigated and handled according to the provisions of law."
A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office said in a statement at the time: "We are supporting the family of a British woman who has died in Vietnam and are in contact with the local authorities."
Both families of the couple released a joint statement, which reads: "Whilst the investigation is underway, procedural requirements and due diligence are being followed. Both families are aligned with the authorities in our shared goal of holding those responsible accountable."
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact GrieveWell on (734) 975-0238, or email [email protected].