Family members fight for answers over duo's toxic homemade drink fatalities

A grieving parents of a lady who died beside her fiance after ingesting poisoned homemade beverage say they are eager for answers.

Greta Otteson, 33, and Arno Quinton, 36, were discovered deceased on the day after Christmas in Hoi An, the Southeast Asian country, as a result of toxic alcohol consumption.

A short time earlier, Greta had messaged her parents, Paul and Susan Otteson, to say she had "an extremely bad hangover ever" and was going to lie down, but she passed away in her sleep.

A bartender who reportedly produced the limoncello was taken into custody in February and is being detained without charge. The parents explain they have had no further updates from the investigators.

"This is about answers," expressed the father, noting: "The family can't move on."

Methanol is a type of chemical often present in household chemicals, fuel and antifreeze.

It is similar to consumable spirits, which is intended for beverages, but it is cheaper and more toxic to people due to the way it is metabolized by the body.

At the parents' home in Rhandirmwyn, their hometown, a pair of containers rest near the stairs – the first has a stuffed animal sitting on top, the other, a plush bear.

They hold their children's ashes.

"They stay in the lounge with us," explained the father, a retired worker. "I want to give them a final resting place, but we feel we can't do that until we get a satisfactory resolution."

Their daughter had been staying in the Vietnamese city with her partner, her South African partner of about 24 months, where the pair operated a guesthouse renting out rooms to travellers.

She was an sole offspring, referred to by her dad as "amazing", a "independent soul" and a "committed professional" who educated herself in Cardiff, France and Los Angeles.

During the autumn month, Greta's dad, 71 and Susan, 70, had journeyed to the Asian country, encountering Arno for the initial occasion, and the two revealed their planned marriage soon afterwards.

"The trip felt beautiful – we were so content," mentioned Paul, who referred to his daughter's partner as "calm but extremely smart" and someone he "had hoped to have as a relative."

During their visit, the group enjoyed meals a multiple times at a local restaurant, a famous dining spot, where they appreciated the food and accepted gratis glasses of handcrafted lemon liqueur at the conclusion.

Several weeks later, when the parents had returned from their trip and were attempting to decide on a seasonal offering for their daughter and her partner, they thought back to the eatery and its bottles of the beverage and opted to purchase a couple of them for transport to their child's house.

The decision was a action that would have the most devastating results.

Just a short time of drinking the limoncello, their daughter contacted her family on December 25 to say she had a severe hangover and was noticing vision issues but brushed off recommendations from her parents, and a friend who had stopped by, to seek a doctor's opinion.

The pair were found dead in individual areas of the property on the following day. Soon later, her family were on a flight to the country.

Paul described the widespread public speculation that followed as well as the challenge to navigate the formalities of coping with a tragedy in a foreign country.

It was not long before post mortem examinations confirmed Greta and Arno had passed away from acute methanol poisoning.

In the winter month, authorities arrested a bartender who worked in a venue in Hoi An for "violating regulations on food safety" by "utilizing repurposed 70-degree industrial spirit, along with H2O, citrus rind and sweetener to produce two bottles of limoncello."

Based on national law, the violation could lead to a highest sentence of multiple years.

Hundreds of victims are harmed by toxic alcohol every year in South East Asia, based on reports from medical entities.

Greta and Arno's fatalities came only a short time after six people lost their lives of toxic consumption in Laos, a nation which shares a boundary with Vietnam.

Paul and Susan were informed investigations take a long time in the region, with the possibility of a suspect being detained for a extended period before being indicted or let go.

They expressed the period for information was becoming unbearable.

"We just want accountability," emphasized the father. "We can't move on. Susan says to me every morning when we rise, 'any information? Is there developments?' I have to say 'no, nothing at this time'."
"This situation is about answers," he added. "Justice for me and Susan would be holding responsible the people involved and taking legal action against them."

The parents said they also felt "deeply disturbed" the establishment where they had requested the beverage was continuing business and had not publicly expressed regret.

"The management just continued as if no incident has happened," remarked Greta's parent.

For the parents, the pain is still very intense.

The father

Jennifer Bishop
Jennifer Bishop

A seasoned journalist with a passion for storytelling and a keen eye for emerging trends in media and culture.