>>> TRAGEDY IN THE DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC AS THE NUMBER OF
AMERICANS WHO HAVE MYSTERIOUSLY
DIED THERE IS NOW RISING TO AT
LEAST EIGHT.
THE LATEST, A NEW YORK MOM LEILA
COX WENT THERE TO CELEBRATE HER
53rd BITTERDY BUT NEVER
RETURNED HOME.
OFFICIALS SAY HE DIED OF A HEART
ATTACK.
HER SON IS SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS
AND THE OFFICIALS ARE TELLING
HIM ALL OF THE TOXICOLOGY
MACHINES ARE BROKEN.
WILL, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
FIRST OF ALL, MY SINCERE
CONDOLENCES TO YOU FOR THE LOSS
OF YOUR MOTHER.
THIS IS A HORRIFIC TRAGEDY.
DO YOU HAVE ANY INSIGHT AS TO
WHAT HAPPENED TO HER HERE OWN
THIS VACATION?
>> NO, I DO NOT HAVE ANY
INSIGHT.
EVERYTHING THEY'VE TOLD ME SO
FAR HAS CHANGED ON A DAILY
BASIS.
I'M WAITING FOR MORE INFORMATION
COME MONDAY.
HOPEFULLY WITH FURTHER ANALYSIS
OF THE AUTOPSY REPORT WE MIGHT
BE ABLE TO GET MORE INFORMATION.
BUT THEY TOLD ME IT COULD TAKE A
MONTH TO TWO MONTH TO DO THAT.
>> THE CLAIM IS THAT SHE HAD A
HEART ATTACK.
DID SHE HAVE A HEART CONDITION?
DID SHE GO INTO THIS VACATION
WITH ANY HEALTH CONDITION THAT
YOU KNEW OF?
>> NO.
EVERYBODY WHO KNEW HER, HER
FAMILY IN NEW YORK, HER FAMILY
DOWN IN KNOXVILLE, ALL KNEW SHE
WAS IN GOOD HEALTH.
SHE HAD NO PRIOR HEART
CONDITIONS, NO PRIOR HEALTH
CONDITIONS.
SHE WORKED IN A HOSPITAL.
SHE WOULD GET CHECKUPS ALL OF
THE TIME.
SHE HAD NO HEALTH CONDITIONS.
EVERYONE WHO KNEW HER KNEW THIS.
>> YOU WANTED A TOXICOLOGY
REPORT DONE AND THEY TOLD YOU
THAT ALL OF THEIR MACHINES THAT
WOULD CONDUCT THE TOXICOLOGY
REPORTS IN THE DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC ARE BROKE.
BROKEN.
THAT SOUNDS LIKE AN OLD
EXPLANATION.
AND THAT CERTAINLY WOULD NOT SIT
WELL WITH ME WHILE TRYING TO
FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO MY
MOTHER.
HOW DID YOU FIND OUT THAT
INFORMATION AND WHERE DID THAT
LEAVE YOU?
WHAT WAS YOUR NEXT STEP AFTER
THAT?
>> WELL THAT IS CORRECT.
THEY TOLD ME ALL OF THEIR
TOXICOLOGY MACHINES WERE BROKEN.
I FOUND THAT OUT FROM THE U.S.
'EM
EMM
EMBASSY.
MS. GARCIA TOLD ME THAT, SAID
THAT ALL OF THE TOXICOLOGY
MACHINES ARE BROKEN.
WE DO NOT KNOW WHEN WE'LL GET
THEM FIXED.
I WAS SUSPICIOUS BEFOREHAND BUT
THAT CONFIRMED MY SUSPICIONS
THAT SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT
HERE.
HOW CAN A WHOLE COUNTRY'S
TOXICOLOGY MACHINES BE BROKEN.
FROM THERE BASICALLY WITHOUT
SOME SORT OF MIRACLE I CANNOT DO
MY OWN U.S. AUTOPSY OR MY OWN
U.S. TOXICOLOGY.
AS OF RIGHT NOW I CAN JUST HOPE
FOR THE BEST.
I REQUESTED A TUBE OF HER BLOOD
BE SENT ALONG WITH HER REMAINS
AND THAT IS YET TO BE ANSWERED
FOR ME.
I'VE BEEN TALKING TO THE U.S.
EMBASSY AND THEY SHOULD GET BACK
TO ME ON MONDAY.
THEY COULDN'T REACH THE DOCTOR
BECAUSE HE LEFT THE OFFICE ON
FRIDAY.
>> YOU WERE SUSPICIOUS FOR OTHER
REASONS RELATED TO YOUR MOTH'S
BODY AND THE WAY THAT WHOLE
CONVERSATION WENT ABOUT.
TELL US ABOUT THAT.
>> WELL BY THE TIME I FOUND
OUT -- MY FATHER GOT A PHONE
CALL AT 3 P.M.
THE U.S. EMBASSY CLOSED AT 4
P.M.
BY THE TIME I FIND OUT, I HAVE
THE POWER OF ATTORNEY, I'M HER
ONLY SON.
UNDER DOMINICAN REPUBLIC LAW I
ONLY HAD 24 HOURS TO PROCEED
WITH THE PROCESS, DECIDE WHAT TO
DO WITH THE BODY AND CREMATE THE
BODY OR EMBALM.
I MADE A FEW PHONE CALLS AND
THANKS TO PEOPLE FOR POWERFUL
THAN ME HELPED, TALKED TO THE
GOVERNMENT AND THEY EXTENDED
THAT DEADLINE UNTIL MONDAY.
>> WOW, 24 HOURS.
WE HAVE A STATEMENT -- I WANT TO
READ THIS FROM YOU.
THEY HAVE RELEASED A STATEMENT
SAYING WE RECEIVED A FORENSICS
REPORT STATING THAT THE CAUSE OF
DEATH WAS A HEART ATTACK AND HAS
BEEN RULED AS A NATURAL DEATH.
WE'LL STRIVE TO CONTINUE TO
PROVIDE OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO
OUR CUSTOMERS WITH THEIR SAFETY
AND SECURITY TOP OF MIND.
WHEN YOU SEE THAT STATEMENT,
WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?
>> I MEAN, I JUST HOPE THAT
THEY'RE HONEST ABOUT IT.
THAT'S THE BEST I CAN HOPE FOR.
I MEAN, IT'S AN ALL EXCLUSIVE
RESORT.
YOU PAY FOR A HOTEL ROOM.
EVERYTHING IS INCLUDED, FOOD,
DRINKS, ANYTHING YOU WANT.
BUT IF THEY CAN'T GUARANTEE THE
SAFETY OF THEIR CUSTOMERS, I
THINK THAT'S THEIR BIGGEST
CONCERN.
AND I HOPE THEY GET TO THE
BOTTOM OF THIS BECAUSE I DON'T
WANT ANOTHER U.S. CITIZEN TO
PASS AWAY, AND AN INNOCENT U.S.
CITIZEN TO PASS AWAY AND SOMEONE
TO FACE WHAT I'M GOING THROUGH
CURRENTLY.
>> I KNOW YOU GOAL IS TO TRY TO
GET YOUR MOM'S BODY BACK TO THE
UNITED STATES TO GET THAT
TOXICOLOGY REPORT.
MY HOPE FOR YOU IS THAT YOU GET
ANSWERS.
THERE'S NOTHING WORSE THAN
SUFFERING A HORRIFIC TRAGEDY
LIKE THAT AND NOT HAVING ANSWER
TO WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR MOM.
YOU'RE IN MY THOUGHTS AND