The grieving families of two Australian teens who died of suspected methanol poisoning in Laos have issued a desperate plea for closure, amid claims of a police cover-up.
Best friends Holly Morton-Bowles and Bianca Jones, both aged 19, died in November 2024 after drinking alcohol that was laced with methanol at a resort in Vang Vieng, north of the Laotian capital, Vientiane.
The Melbourne teens were among six guests staying at Nana Backpacker’s hostel, who died after they consumed tainted drinks during happy hour.
As the one-year anniversary looms, the teens’ heartbroken parents claim that there is ‘no evidence’ that police in Laos investigated their tragic deaths.
Mark and Michelle Jones fear their daughter Bianca’s death, who had ‘so much ahead of her’, could go unresolved.
They are angry that those responsible have not faced the consequences.
‘No family should ever have to go through this. To date, no individual or organisation has been held accountable,’ they told the Herald Sun.
‘With little to no information coming from the Laotian authorities to the families or their governments, it appears these deaths of innocent young women may be forgotten, brushed aside, and left unresolved.
Best friends Holly Morton-Bowles and Bianca Jones (pictured), both aged 19, died after drinking alcohol laced with methanol at a resort in Vang Vieng
The teens’ parents claim they’ve seen no sign that Laos authorities are investigating the deaths. Pictured are Michelle Jones, Samantha Morton and Mark Jones at Bianca’s funeral
The best friends are pictured dancing together just weeks before their deadly backpacking trip
‘We must have justice. At the very least, they deserve that.’
Holly’s parents, Shaun Bowles and Samantha Morton have pleaded for Aussies to think twice before visiting the popular south-east Asian country.
‘We recognise how corrupt and unhelpful the Laos government (is), there is no evidence whatsoever to suggest there is any type of investigation going on,’ they told the publication.
‘(Our) hope is that Australians remove this county from their bucket list, your life is worth nothing over there and we have seen this first-hand as well as other families that have been involved in this tragedy.’
Laos authorities linked the deaths to the illicit production of methanol-containing alcohol and initially detained multiple hostel workers for questioning.
But information from the Laos government has been sparse and no charges have ever been laid.
The hostel has remained closed since the deaths, despite the owners denying illicit alcohol was served.
It was revealed earlier this year that a bartender and the hostel manager who worked at Nana Backpackers Hostel during the alleged poisoning had found new jobs in Vietnam.
CCTV footage from inside the hostel showed Bianca and Holly being transported to hospital one-by-one on the back of a motorbike after the pair fell ill
Holly and Bianca were staying at Nana Backpackers Hostel where they consumed the free drinks. Several employees were detained last year but no charges were ever laid
The Laos government has made no direct contact with the families, having only passed on its condolences through Australian Federal Police.
It has also failed to accept offers from AFP to assist in the investigation.
The AFP has confirmed that its offer to assist Laos authorities still stands.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong expressed her sympathies to the Bowles, Morton and Jones families and reiterated Australia’s demand for ‘full accountability’.
The Laos government previously told Wong it would hold a ‘thorough investigation’ into the incident ‘to bring the perpetrators to justice’.
The Melbourne families’ frustrations at the lack of direct contact are also being felt in other countries.
English woman Simone White, 28, Danish friends Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, and Freja Sorensen, 21, and American James Hutson, 57, also died in the same incident.
British tourist Calum Macdonald, 24, went blind after drinking at the same backpackers hostel the night before Holly and Bianca were poisoned.
Daily Mail has contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Laos embassy in Australia for comment.
