Paul and Susan Otteson were left heartbroken following the death of their daughter Greta and her fiancé Arno after the young couple drank from a tainted bottle of limoncello
The parents of a British woman who died alongside her partner after drinking toxic limoncello have revealed a tragic twist in the tale as they say they were the ones who bought the dodgy booze.
The heartbroken parents of Greta Marie Otteson, 33, revealed they had purchased the drink, not knowing it was tainted. Greta and her South African fiancé, Arno Els Quinton, 36, were found dead in a Vietnamese villa in Hoi An on Boxing Day last year.
Three days prior, the couple is understood to have consumed the drink. Police launched an investigation into their deaths and carried out tests that concluded both died from methanol poisoning that is believed to have been linked to the toxic limoncello.
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The barman who is alleged to have made the deadly drink was charged back in February and remains detained as investigations continue. Greta’s parents Paul, 71, and Susan, 70, had been visiting Vietnam in November where they rented out a villa for travellers.
They ate at Good Morning Vietnam and had shots of limoncello at the end of their meal. After returning home, they ordered a few bottles of the drink and had them delivered to the couple as a Christmas gift.
Greta and Arno are understood to have gone out for dinner on Christmas Eve before they arrived back at their villa at about 10pm. When the came back, they found two bottles of limoncello waiting for them at the reception desk.
They had been delivered earlier in the night by a different restaurant. The business is said to be a popular dine-in spot in the area. It is not entirely clear how methanol – a toxic industrial chemical – entered the drink.
Greta then complained of having the “worst hangover ever” and suffered from “black spots” in her vision. Her body and that of Arno were found by a cleaner three days later.
The couple died less than a month after getting engaged. They announced their engagement in an emotional Instagram post on December 3 last year.
The family described the wait for any answers as “unbearable.” They received no additional update from police or an apology from the restaurant. Paul told the BBC: “It’s about accountability.” He added: “We can’t move on.”
The couple added: “Justice for us would be naming the people responsible and prosecuting them.” Greta and Arno’s ashes are currently being stored in the Ottesson’s house in Rhandirmwyn, Carmarthenshire.
One of the ashes has a pink bunny on top and the other has a blue bear. Susan and Paul paid tribute to the couple, adding: “Both Greta and Arno were experienced worldwide travellers. They found their perfect home and were incredibly happy with their life in Vietnam, planning for the future.”