Initially Reported Missing, Iowa Family Found Dead In Mexico

Not long after being reported missing, a family from Iowa was found dead in a condominium in Mexico. Kevin and Amy Sharp, as well as their two children, were confirmed dead by police in their hometown of Creston, Iowa, the Des Moines Register reported.

The news was also confirmed by Ashli Peterson, a relative to the Sharps. Peterson updated her original Facebook post about the family going missing (which included pictures of the Sharps) to let everyone know what happened.

The family had gone on vacation to Tulum, on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. They told family and friends on March 15 that they had safely arrived at the condo, which they would be staying at until Wednesday. However, nobody heard from them after that, and they did not make their flight from Cancun to St. Louis.

The U.S. State Department arranged an emergency wellness check, which found all four family members deceased in the condo. There were no signs of foul play. Kevin was 41, while Amy was 38. Their son Sterling was 12 and their daughter Adrianna was 7. An investigation is under way, with CBS News reporting a gas leak or food poisoning were both considered possibilities.

The State Department issued a travel advisory for several areas in Mexico the day after the Sharps arrived in Tulum, but again, there was no initial indication of any foul play in the family’s deaths. Authorities are still waiting on autopsy results to determine the cause of death.

Some news outlets started reporting the Sharps as missing just hours before their deaths were announced. Peterson’s initial Facebook post acted as a valuable source of information, as she revealed the family was supposed to be at a Southwest Community College basketball game in Danville, Illinois, on Thursday.

Peterson also revealed that the Sharps’ cell phones had been pinged, with the results showing that they were still in Mexico long after they should have been, with no movement.

“Please respect the family at this time as they go through the grieving process,” Peterson said in her update. “Thank you for all the posts, shares, and kind words.”