PHILIPSBURG–Twenty-year-old Rachelle Thomas passed away on Monday, May 1, at the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) as a result of natural causes. The young lady was hospitalized last week Thursday due to ruptured vein in her brain. She was surrounded by family and friends.
Initially word spread quickly once hospitalized that she attended the Jouvert Morning Jump-Up and was given a drink laced with the drug ecstasy. Outrage erupted on social media accusing her company of not looking out for her. However, after examining her urine doctors determined that ecstasy was not the reason that caused her death.
Public prosecutor spokesman Norman Serphos told The Daily Herald on Wednesday, that Thomas had minimal traces of ecstasy in her urine according to doctors, but this was not enough to say that the cause of death was overdose of the drug. “Natural cause is the correct term to use in this case,” stated Serphos.
The body has been released to the family for burial and the police and the prosecutor see no reason to open a criminal investigation at this stage. “Several persons were questioned, who were with the young lady and no statement supports the notion that she was drugged or that she had too much to drink,” according to the spokesman for the prosecutor.
Minister of Justice Rafael Boasman and Prime Minister William Marlin expressed their concern over the death of a young woman and expressed their condolences to the family during the weekly government press briefing on Wednesday morning. Marlin, who did not have the official report prior to Serphos’s statement said he had heard reports of young women falling sick after illegal substances placed in their drink.
Marlin said he hopes that the Minister of Justice work together with undercover police officers to visit establishments and observe to see if these actions are actually taking place. Minister Boasman said that the only thing he knew was that the police had been investigating and he did not receive a report from them as yet.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/65601-young-lady-dies-of-natural-cause-not-ecstasy-overdose
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