Two Backpackers (British & Canadian) Were Found Dead In Cambodian Hostel (Photos Only)

A mysterious tragedy occurred at the "Monkey Republic" hostel in Kampot, Cambodia, in November 2017, when two women died in their dorm rooms, believed to be the result of taking poor-quality medication. The pair were identified as a 22-year-old former accounts manager from Shefford, Bedfordshire, England, and a 27-year-old former teacher and Apple Store employee from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Both had apparently quit their jobs in order to focus on taking a backpacking tour through Asia.

The exact circumstances behind the pair's demise remain unclear, but according to local provincial police, and the guesthouse's owner, Lee Verlander, the two women were suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea, believed to be a result of food poisoning. According to text messages sent by the British woman, their vomit was coloured yellow and dark green. Other backpackers bought them food and drink to alleviate their symptoms, but the hostel was in a remote location with no hospital nearby. At some point, they got their hands on some medication, which was apparently of dodgy quality. A local villager drove the women to a local doctor, but by then they had passed out, and they were apparently taken back to the hostel, where they were found dead a few hours later.

Upon investigation, unidentified white tablets were found strewn all over the floor. Most likely this was over-the-counter medication, although why a whole bunch of them were scattered on the ground is not clear. An autopsy on the British woman found evidence of liver damage caused by "drug toxicity", but ultimately, an "open verdict" was ruled, basically meaning that the cause of death, and the circumstances leading up to it, could not be ascertained with certainty.