WHAT could have happened? Who would know about the events that led to the deaths of American couple Michelle and David Paul in May 2019?
The mystery is frustrating their family back in the US. Now that we are in 2020, it seems nothing is known about what really happened to them in Nadi. The case attracted attention for many reasons last year.
Now seven months later, we are still nowhere near finding out the truth about what happened. That’s the sad bit for family and friends of the couple. There is the mystery surrounding their deaths in Nadi after they fell violently ill, and there is the time factor.
The couple died days apart after arriving in Fiji on May 22 for a dream holiday. They fell sick on May 24 and Michelle died the next day. David succumbed to the yet to be identified illness on May 27. They leave behind a two-year-old son and three of David’s children from previous relationships.
They were quite enthusiastic about life. That much we can get off discussions with close family members. They loved life and enjoyed travelling to destinations around the world. They loved snorkelling, hiking and sightseeing.
They loved each other and they loved their family. When they became ill, they each contacted their mother, messaging them their health status as the ‘mystery illness’ affected them in Nadi.
Investigations have so far been inconclusive. Investigations started testing for toxins after influenza and infectious diseases were ruled out as causes of the deaths.
The onus is on the powers that be to get to the bottom of this issue, and for the sake of Fijians and the couple’s family members, bring closure to this turn of events.
Now Michelle’s dad says he does not understand why the couple’s final autopsy report has not been released. Marc Canalog said he also could not understand the delay in the return of his daughter’s iWatch.
“I want the truth, I want my daughter’s watch back and I want the final autopsy report,” he said during an interview with The Fiji Times. He pleaded with the US Embassy to work with Fijian
authorities “and get the truth of what happened. Silence really is terrible feedback”.
Mr Canalog said while he had not been updated about the investigations conducted by the Fiji Police, he was aware that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was on the case.
For whatever it is worth, we hope all stops are pulled to allow the family to find some closure to this case. It is unfortunate that it has dragged on this long. It hasn’t been good for the family and for the image of the country as a whole.
We still hope and pray the family finds closure eventually. But the silence is truly deafening
