Mystery after woman, 25, ‘found dead with bruises on face’
The unexplained death of 25-year-old Gabrielle Varley continues to haunt an Exeter family.
On September 25, 2024, her body was found at home by friend Byron North, who proceeded to try CPR before ringing 999.
Paramedics declared Varley deceased at the scene, but the mystery lies in the facial bruising she'd suffered prior to losing her life.
Per The Sun, a new inquest at Devon Coroners' Court heard Varley had been sinking as many as three bottles of vodka every day after returning to England from Grenada.
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She'd initially moved abroad to escape her 'sad' existence and it seems that the young woman had spiralled when back on home soil.
Varley's sister, Charlotte, told the court that during their final phone conversation, it became clear that she'd neither slept or eaten for some time and was dealing with terrible stomach cramps.
"Gabby had a big problem with alcohol which got worse in 2024," the grieving sister revealed.
"She was going through two to three big bottles of vodka per day. Alcohol had been an issue and was getting worse. She was drinking it straight at any time of the day."
Following their chat, Charlotte attempted to contact her sibling to no avail. She then dialled the local hospital's number and alerted friends to the situation.
When the ambulance eventually pulled up to her residence, medics 'raised concerns about the appearance of facial bruising'.
However, police discovered no evidence of foul play.
A subsequent toxicology report determined that Varley's blood contained amounts of paracetamol consistent with toxicity, while necrotic tissue was present in her liver.
It was not possible to ascertain whether the pain pills ultimately contributed to her passing, or that the liver damage had happened beforehand.
Varley's epilepsy and historical anxiety was also shared with the court, with coroner Deborah Archer noting how her excessive alcohol binges only worsened these conditions.
In the end, neither the pathologist or toxicologist could figure out how she died, with the bruises raising more questions than answers.
Speaking at the Devon-based courthouse, Archer referred to evidence from the GP stating a risk of sudden death associated with alcohol use amongst epilepsy patients, but they could not find a connection between the two in this particular case.
In other tragic news, a Florida woman was fatally injured by an alligator last weekend after she and her boyfriend decided to paddle in the Econlockhatchee River.
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Dan Seddon