Everything we know about Brit and fiancé who were found dead after drinking limoncello as major update shared
Here's everything we know about the British woman and her fiancé who were found dead in their villa after drinking limoncello.
On Boxing Day last year, the bodies of Greta Marie Otteson, 33, and her South African partner Arno Els Quinton, 36, were found at the Hoi An Silverbell Villa in Vietnam.
The newly engaged couple ran the villa, where they also rented rooms out to other travellers after moving out to the Southeast Asian nation in 2024.
They had gone out for dinner on Christmas Eve, with them being gifted two bottles of limoncello by Otteson's parents after they had visited them just one month prior.
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After consuming it themselves, they fell ill and even said they saw 'black spots' in what they thought was a result of drinking too much.
Otteson sent a message to her parents, as the pair refused to see a health professional and instead tried to get some shut-eye in an unfortunate turn of events.
Final text to parents
Otteson complained of how she and Quinton felt after drinking limoncello in a desperate text to her parents.
She said that they were experiencing the 'worst hangover ever' which involved seeing 'black spots' in their vision, in a harrowing WhatsApp message to parents Susan and Paul.
Otteson then said that they would try to 'sleep it off' instead of seeking professional advice, with the Wales-national even 'turning down help', according to a source.
Speaking to The Times, they claimed: "A local bar owner and a fantastic friend called over and wanted to take them to hospital but they refused.
"Sadly I think it was too late by then."
"Police forensics established the limoncello, which had been delivered, was the source," they also revealed.
A Quang Nam Provincial Police spokesperson also stated at the time: "There were no signs of ransacking at the scene. The victims' belongings and phones were untouched."
Friend of the couple's attempts to help
The name of the friend who checked up on them was Todd Ford, who saw them at 10:00pm on Christmas Day, about 24 hours after they had the fateful drink.
Police would confirm that the limoncello was laced with methanol, a substance that the body converts into a highly toxic formic acid when ingested.
Ford recalled his version of events to The Times: “I went up and I knocked. I called his name. I didn’t see any lights on in the room. I got Greta water and went to check on her. I said: 'Do you want me to break the door down?' She was like, 'He probably fell asleep playing his video games and his hangover’s probably even worse than mine'.
“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.”
He recalled that Otteson's 'hangover was subsiding but she had some vision issues that were worrying her, but when asked if they should go to the hospital, she said she would "sleep it off"'.
While structurally similar to ethanol, a common ingredient in alcoholic drinks, methanol is usually found in antifreeze, paint thinners and windscreen-washer fluid, having no taste in drinks.
Symptoms of methanol poisoning can take 24 hours to show, potentially causing brain damage, organ failure, blindness and death after experiencing nausea, vomiting, dizziness, changes to vision and abdominal pain.
It is advised that you seek medical attention if you suspect methanol poisoning.
Photo of the scene
Police released a photo of one of the rooms where Otteson and her fiancé were found dead, with their corpses being discovered in separate areas of the holiday home by staff when they entered to clean it on Boxing Day last year.
Both Otteson and Quinton were found dead on beds in separate rooms, though it was reported by the BBC that the latter's door was locked from the inside.
Local police said that an inspection revealed no signs of external force, with neither one of the rooms looking 'ransacked', though it was said at the time that 'several empty bottles of wine' were found at the scene.
Two glass bottles looking like booze containers can be seen on a table in the corner of the room in the released image, while several other objects can be seen in the room, though it isn't clear if this snap is of Otteson's or Quinton's room.
Update from Otteson's parents
Described by her parents as 'worldwide travellers', Otteson's mum and dad confirmed: "The Vietnamese police have now confirmed that the cause of death was methanol poisoning, as verified by the autopsy results."
Police later claimed that the bartender responsible, who has since been arrested, 'violated' food safety regulations by 'using used 70-degree medical grade alcohol, along with filtered water, lemon peel and white sugar to create two bottles of limoncello'.
The parents, who ordered the limoncello for the couple after having it themselves on a visit to Vietnam, said it has been 'unbearable' as no updates have been provided by police, nor has there been an apology from the restaurant.
Paul recently told the BBC: "It's about accountability, we can't move on."
"Justice for us would be naming the people responsible and prosecuting them," he added, as the Vietnamese government confirmed that the maximum prison sentence the guilty party would face would be seven to 15 years.
The parents currently have the couple's ashes stored in two separate bags in their home in Carmarthenshire, Wales.
Reflecting on their trip to visit the couple, Paul said: "It was lovely - we were so happy."
He added that Arno was 'quiet but highly intelligent' and someone 'he would have loved to have as a son-in-law'.
Joshua Nair