Parents of Daughter Who Died with Fiancé After Drinking Tainted Limoncello Reveal Heartbreaking New Detail

The parents of Greta Otteson — the British woman who was fatally poisoned along with her fiancé Els Arno Quinton — are seeking justice after revealing they had bought the drink that killed them.

Greta, 33, and Quinton, 36, were found dead at the Hoi An Silverbell Villa, which they managed, in Vietnam on Dec. 26, 2024.

Vietnamese police confirmed that the couple died from methanol poisoning. They accidentally consumed the toxic ingredient after drinking “homemade” limoncello gifted from a local restaurant, the U.K. newspaper The Times reported in January.

Greta’s parents, Paul and Susan Otteson, said they bought the couple the limoncello as a Christmas gift after visiting them the month before, the BBC reported.

During their visit, Paul, 71, and Susan, 70, ate at the Italian restaurant Good Morning Vietnam, where they were served free homemade limoncello shots. They decided to send their daughter and future son-in-law bottles of the drink as a holiday gift after returning home to Wales.

On Christmas Day, Greta messaged her parents hours after drinking the limoncello, saying she had “a terrible hangover and was seeing black spots.”

They suggested she get medical help, but she refused. Greta and Quinton were found dead in separate rooms of the villa the next day.

In February, the barmen who allegedly made the contaminated drink at the restaurant was charged with “violating regulations on food safety” by “using used 70-degree medical grade alcohol, along with filtered water, lemon peel and white sugar to create two bottles of limoncello.” They are currently being held during investigations, according to the BBC.

Greta’s parents said they have not received updates from police since and were warned that the next stage of the investigation could take a full year.

If the barmen is found guilty, they could be sentenced to seven to 15 years in prison, according to the Vietnamese central government.

“It’s about accountability. We can’t move on,” Paul told the BBC. He added that the ashes of Greta and her partner remain at their home: “We want to put them to rest, but we feel we can’t do that until we get a proper conclusion.”

The restaurant that sold the drink has not publicly apologized, leaving Greta’s parents “very upset.”

“We just want justice. Justice for us would be naming the people responsible and prosecuting them,” Paul said. “They just carried on as if nothing has happened.”

PEOPLE has reached out to the Da Nang City Police and Good Morning Vietnam for comment.

The Guardian and Vietnam News previously reported that Greta and her South African partner Quinton were found dead by staff in separate rooms at their villa around 11:18 a.m. local time on Dec. 26.

Vietnam News reported that several empty wine bottles were found at the scene. According to the BBC, police said the bodies showed no signs of external force, and the villa showed no sign of burglary.

Police also said that the couple had “registered for long-term temporary residence” at the villa starting July 4, 2024, per Vietnam News. They had gotten engaged three weeks before their deaths.

In a statement to The Times at the time, Paul and Susan said: “The Vietnamese police have now confirmed that the cause of death was methanol poisoning, as verified by the autopsy results. Both Greta and Arno were experienced worldwide travellers. They found their perfect home and were incredibly happy with their life in Vietnam.”

Greta shared on Facebook that she was the founder and social media manager of a company called Not Sorry Socials based in Asia. Quinton worked as a stand-up comedian and musician, according to his Facebook page.

The couple previously shared a video on the Red Eye Studios YouTube page in December about their love for traveling together. They said they met in the Middle East before moving to Vietnam and were preparing to surprise their families with their engagement news.