British woman and South African fiance found dead inside Vietnamese villa

A British woman and her South African fiance have been found dead in unexplained circumstances inside a holiday villa in Vietnam.

An engaged couple have been found dead in mysterious circumstances in separate rooms in a luxury holiday villa in Vietnam.

The bodies of British woman Greta Marie Otteson, 33, and her South African fiance Arno Els Quinton, 36, were discovered by cleaning staff at the Hoa Ch Tourist Villa in Hội An, a costal city in the central Quang Nam province, at about 11.18am local time on December 26.

Ms Otteson was found dead on a bed in a first floor room in the villa, while Mr Quinton was discovered on a bed in another room which had reportedly been locked from the inside, the BBC reports.

Police confirmed there were no sign of a burglary in either rooms and the couple’s bodies showed no signs of physical trauma.

Several empty alcohol bottles were reportedly found at the scene.

“There were no signs of ransacking at the scene. The victims’ belongings and phones were untouched,” a A Quang Nam Provincial Police spokesman said, as per The Sun.

An investigation into the couple’s cause of death remains ongoing.

Greta Marie Otteson and Arno Els Quinton found dead on Boxing Day. Picture: Facebook

Ms Otteson worked as a social media marketing manager while Mr Quinton was a barista and musician.

Videography company Red Eye Studios shared a video of the couple’s engagement on social media on December 12.

“Living in the romantic city of Hoi-An, our good friends Greta and Arno decided to surprise their families with a beautiful video to announce their engagement,” the caption read.

The couple had reportedly registered for long-term temporary residence at the villa starting from July 4, 2024.

A member of Ms Otteson’s extended family said they were left shocked by news of the tragedy.

“We’re just hearing about it now. There are no words. We are just in shock. It’s all too much,” the family member, who declined to be named, told the The Daily Mail.

Mr Quinton’s friend, who also did not wish to be named, said the 36-year-old sent a voice message hours before he died where he expressed his excitement over Christmas.

“I think their plans were just to be together and experience [Christmas] in a new country. It’s very tragic,” he told The Times.

“There are two distinct things that are so prominent in my thoughts and that is her laugh and how much love they constantly [threw] at each other, regardless of who was around.

“They celebrated each other there and I know they will continue doing that, wherever they are.”

A spokesperson for the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office told media, “We are supporting the family of a British woman who has died in Vietnam and are in contact with local authorities.”

Originally published as British woman and South African fiance found dead inside Vietnamese villa