The sudden deaths of South African musician Arno Quinton and his British fiancée Greta Otteson have left authorities in Vietnam and their families grappling with questions.
Engaged couple found dead in Vietnam villa: Here’s everything we know so far
The couple, who had been living in Hoi An for nearly a year, were found dead in separate rooms in their villa on Boxing Day under circumstances that remain unclear.
While no evidence of foul play has been found, details about the scene and the couple’s lifestyle have sparked a series of unanswered questions.
The mystery deepens with each discovery, particularly regarding a locked door in one of the rooms.
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Who was Arno Quinton?
Arno Quinton, a 36-year-old musician, had adopted the moniker “Lakkabrah” for his artistic pursuits.
His modest audience—85 monthly listeners on Spotify and just over 700 Twitch followers—painted a picture of a passionate artist still striving for commercial recognition.
His creative endeavours included selling AI-generated artwork and custom-printed merchandise, but by all accounts, these ventures were not highly lucrative.
For Quinton, the decision to move to Vietnam with Otteson may have been about more than affordability—it might have been a pursuit of freedom to create and live without the constraints of a high-cost environment.
Vietnam, with its vibrant expat community and lower cost of living, presented an opportunity to sustain a creative lifestyle.
Yet, questions linger about how he and Otteson managed to maintain a villa in Hoi An for almost a year.
Unpacking the tragedy
On the morning of 26 December 2024, staff at the Hoa Chuong villa discovered Otteson’s body in a first-floor bedroom.
She lay lifeless on the bed, with no visible injuries or signs of struggle. Hours later, Quinton’s body was found in a separate room that had been locked from the inside.
Police reports confirmed that neither room showed signs of forced entry or burglary.
Several empty wine bottles were found in the villa, suggesting the couple had been drinking before their deaths.
This discovery raises questions about whether the alcohol played a direct role in the tragedy or if it was incidental to their evening.
The locked door, however, remains a critical and confounding detail.
Why did Quinton retreat to the second room, and what prompted him to lock the door?
Was it an act of fear, confusion, or despair?
The methanol poisoning theory
An online comment by an acquaintance speculated that methanol poisoning may have caused the couple’s deaths.
Methanol, a toxic substance often found in unregulated or counterfeit alcohol, is a known hazard in Southeast Asia.
Even small quantities can lead to severe symptoms like dizziness, blindness, and respiratory failure, sometimes culminating in death hours later.
If contaminated alcohol was involved, it could explain the couple’s symptoms.
Otteson, potentially ingesting a larger or faster-absorbed dose, may have succumbed first. Quinton’s retreat and locking himself in another room could indicate confusion or disorientation caused by the poisoning.
However, this theory does not fully address the sequence of events.
Why didn’t Quinton seek help? Could panic or emotional distress have clouded his judgment, or was there another factor—like a shared environmental hazard—that contributed to their deaths?
A short-lived Vietnamese dream
Otteson, 33, ran a small social media agency called “Not Sorry Socials,” selling digital templates and social media audits.
However, there is little evidence that she had steady clients or a substantial income stream. Similarly, Quinton’s musical ventures appeared to generate limited revenue.
Their decision to move to Hoi An suggests careful financial planning or an effort to stretch modest resources.
The villa they resided in catered to long-term guests, and it’s possible they negotiated an affordable arrangement.
Yet, the sustainability of their lifestyle raises questions about external support, savings, or other unknown sources of income.
The tragedy leaves a series of questions that complicate the narrative:
- Why was Quinton’s room locked, and what does this detail suggest about his final moments?
- Could the couple have succumbed to an environmental hazard, such as toxic fumes, in addition to or instead of alcohol?
- Were there any warning signs or circumstances leading up to their deaths that friends and family might now recall?
As authorities continue their investigation, these questions remain unanswered.
