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Montego Bay, Jamaica
A 35-year-old dual U.S.-Jamaican citizen who was celebrating her birthday in Jamaica was dropped off unconscious at a hospital in a wheelchair with visible marks of violence before she died, authorities said.
Her partner is now in custody.
Melissa Kerry Samnath died on April 29 at a hospital in St. James parish after being left there by Dane Watson, whom police believe is her husband. He allegedly assisted her from a vehicle and then left the scene.
Samnath had sent frantic text messages to her sister earlier that night asking for help and urging her to call the police. In one message, she reportedly wrote: “I need you to call the cops. Look at my location. It’s the pink house.” Her sister said the location was not at their Airbnb.
A post-mortem examination determined Samnath died from multiple blunt force trauma to the head. Her death is being investigated as a murder.
On May 16, nearly three weeks after her death, Watson was taken into custody after family members turned him in to authorities. As of May 18, he had not been formally charged.
Samnath’s family has questioned whether she and Watson were legally married, despite police statements that the couple wed in December. A GoFundMe has been established to support her family and funeral arrangements.
