Loved ones struggle for answers after duo's poisonous limoncello tragic passing

The heartbroken relatives of a lady who lost her life together with her boyfriend after ingesting tainted lemon-flavored alcohol state they are eager for accountability.

The victim, thirty-three, and her partner, thirty-six, were found dead on Boxing Day in Hoi An, the Southeast Asian country, as a consequence of methanol poisoning.

Hours earlier, the woman had texted her parents, her relatives, to say she had "the worst headache ever" and was going to rest, but she never woke up.

The barman who reportedly produced the beverage was arrested in February and is being detained without charge. The parents say they have had little information from the investigators.

"It's about responsibility," said Paul, continuing: "We cannot find closure."

The harmful substance is a form of compound commonly present in cleaning products, fuel and coolants.

It is like consumable spirits, which is used for beverages, but it is less expensive and more toxic to people as a result of the way it is processed by the organism.

In the family's house in Rhandirmwyn, the Welsh county, two square bags sit near the stairs – the first has a pink bunny resting on top, the other, a plush bear.

The containers contain Greta and Arno's ashes.

"The urns remain in the living room with us," shared Mr Otteson, a former professional. "We want to give them a final resting place, but we believe we are unable to do that until we get a satisfactory resolution."

Their daughter had been living in Hoi An with Arno, her international partner of about two years, where the pair operated a accommodation renting out units to tourists.

She was an single daughter, remembered by her father as "marvellous", a "free spirit" and a "hard worker" who trained in the UK, Europe and America.

In November, the father, in his seventies and Susan, 70, had travelled to Southeast Asia, meeting Greta's partner for the first time, and the couple revealed their planned marriage shortly afterwards.

"It was lovely – we were so content," said Paul, who described his daughter's partner as "quiet but extremely smart" and someone he "had hoped to have as a family member."

Throughout their stay, the parents ate a number of times at an Italian eatery, a well known Italian restaurant, where they appreciated the cuisine and received gratis glasses of handcrafted lemon liqueur at the end.

Several weeks later, when the couple had left Vietnam and were attempting to choose a Christmas gift for the young couple, they thought back to the eatery and its bottles of the beverage and opted to arrange delivery for a few of them for transport to their child's house.

It was a decision that would have the tragic outcomes.

After moments of trying the limoncello, their daughter contacted her parents on Christmas Day to say she had a severe headache and was seeing black spots but dismissed suggestions from her parents, and a visitor who had visited, to get professional assistance.

The pair were pronounced dead in different rooms of the property on December 26. Soon later, the parents were on a plane to Vietnam.

Paul recalled the significant public rumors that ensued as well as the struggle to navigate the practicalities of coping with a loss in a overseas country.

Later a short time before autopsies showed the victims had succumbed from acute toxic ingestion.

During the winter month, investigators arrested a employee who worked in a restaurant in the area for "disregarding rules on consumable products" by "using used strong medical grade spirit, along with tap water, fruit skin and granulated sugar to produce multiple containers of the beverage."

According to local legal codes, the offence could lead to a highest sentence of seven to 15 years.

Many of people are harmed by methanol every year in the region, according to medical organizations.

Greta and Arno's passing came only a short time after multiple people were killed of similar causes in Laos, a country which is next to Vietnam.

Paul and Susan were warned legal processes take a long time in Vietnam, with the chance of a individual being held for a year before being formally accused or freed.

They expressed the wait for resolution was becoming unbearable.

"I just want closure," emphasized the father. "They can't move on. My wife says to me every morning when we wake up, 'is there information? Is there developments?' I have to say 'nothing, nothing so far'."
"It's about responsibility," he added. "A resolution for us would be identifying the people involved and charging them."

The couple mentioned they also felt "deeply disturbed" the restaurant where they had purchased the product was operating as usual and had not publicly acknowledged responsibility.

"They just carried on as if no incident has taken place," stated Greta's parent.

Regarding the parents, the sorrow is still very intense.

Greta's dad

Brittany Lang
Brittany Lang

A seasoned marketing strategist with over a decade of experience in building successful brands across various industries.

June 2025 Blog Roll

Popular Post