MARMARIS, Turkey — What was intended to be a final family reprieve before a grueling battle with cancer transformed into an international tragedy for a British family in the summer of 2024. JJ Warner, 40, has revealed the harrowing details of the death of his partner, Sophie Runkee, who passed away in Turkey on the same day he had planned to ask for her hand in marriage.
The couple, hailing from Hull, England, had traveled to the resort town of Marmaris with their infant son and Runkee’s two older children. The vacation was organized as a “quality time” getaway following Warner’s diagnosis of melanoma, a discovery that had cast a shadow over the family’s future.
Warner, who described Runkee as his “soulmate,” had meticulously prepared for the proposal. He had purchased an engagement ring, secured a reservation at a local restaurant, and even involved Runkee’s eldest children in the surprise.
“I wanted it to be really special, to show her what she meant to me,” Warner stated in an interview with The Sun.
However, the celebratory atmosphere vanished when Runkee, 34, was found unconscious on the balcony of the family’s hotel room. According to Warner, Runkee had spent the afternoon relaxing while he cared for the children. After several hours, her daughter, Alicia, discovered her unresponsive. Despite Warner’s immediate attempts at CPR and the intervention of emergency services, Runkee died the following day at a local hospital without regaining consciousness.
The timing of the tragedy added a layer of profound irony; on the evening Warner was set to propose, he instead found himself at a Turkish morgue to formally identify her body.
For months following the incident, Warner lived under a cloud of self-imposed guilt. Early indications suggested Runkee might have choked in her sleep following an afternoon of drinking—a “stress release” common for families dealing with a terminal or serious diagnosis.
“I tortured myself with ‘what if,’ believing that I could have saved her if I’d checked on her a minute sooner,” Warner recalled.
However, a recently released autopsy report from Turkish authorities has provided a definitive—and different—cause of death. Medical examiners determined that Runkee suffered from an undiagnosed heart condition. The report revealed that she had previously survived a silent heart attack, a condition she was entirely unaware of, which ultimately led to the fatal cardiac event in Marmaris.
For Warner, the findings offered a somber sense of closure. The medical evidence confirmed that the tragedy was unavoidable, regardless of his proximity or intervention.
In the wake of the loss, Warner returned to England to face his own medical crisis while suddenly becoming a single father to three children. Despite the physical and emotional toll, his prognosis has taken a turn for the better.
Following eight surgical procedures related to his skin cancer, Warner is now expected to make a full recovery. He has since committed to raising all three children as his own, ensuring they share his surname and a unified family identity.
“Sophie is my one true love, and her memory will live on through her children,” Warner said. “Though we were never legally married, in my heart she will always be my wife.”
As Warner continues his post-cancer monitoring, the family maintains a ritual of releasing lanterns on special occasions to honor Runkee’s memory. The case serves as a poignant reminder of the volatility of cardiac health in young adults and the resilience of families navigating dual crises of grief and illness.
