Inset: Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez (GoFundMe). Background: The Miami Dollar Tree where Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez was reportedly found naked and dead inside of a freezer (WPLG).
Authorities in Florida are piecing together the circumstances surrounding the mysterious death of a 32-year-old anesthesiologist and mother of two, whose body was discovered inside a freezer at a Miami Dollar Tree, officials have confirmed.
The Miami Police Department’s public information officer shared with Law&Crime on Monday that the case remains an “unclassified death” as investigations continue.
Identified as Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez, the victim was found at the Dollar Tree situated at 968 SW 8th Street in Little Havana on Sunday morning. A 911 call captured a dispatcher relaying, “Complainant found a naked female in the cooler of the store,” reported CBS affiliate WFOR.
A spokesperson from the Miami PD stated, “An employee alerted us to the presence of a deceased woman within the business, specifically inside the freezer. While no foul play is suspected, the investigation remains active and ongoing.”
Responding officers uncovered Garay Sanchez’s body in a freezer located in a restricted area meant only for employees of the discount store, as reported by local station WPLG. Store employees confirmed she was not part of their staff.
Police have indicated there is no evidence that Garay Sanchez was coerced into the freezer, but how she ended up there remains a mystery. Witnesses recall seeing her enter the store late Saturday night, just as it was about to close. She did not make any purchases and was observed heading towards a freezer in the store’s back storage area.
Dollar Tree management could not be reached for comment on Monday. The store was closed while police investigated. It reopened later in the day Sunday, WPLG reports.
“It’s something painful,” a customer told the station. “A family heartbroken now because of the death of a person, and we don’t know what truly happened.”
Another person told WFOR, “I got to be honest with you, I’m totally devastated. I can’t believe in the Dollar Tree you’d find a dead body.”
The Miami Herald reported seeing members of Garay Sanchez’s family at the store as police investigated and were on scene Sunday. They declined to speak to media.
“Originally from Nicaragua, Dr. Garay dedicated her life to medicine, earning recognition as a Anesthesiologist specializing in congenital heart disease whose work brought hope and healing to countless children and families,” a GoFundMe description says about the “devoted physician and beloved mother,” with the page first being reported by WPLG.
“Her compassion, skill, and commitment to saving young lives defined both her career and her character,” the GoFundMe says. “Beyond her profession, she was a loving mother to two children, who remain in Nicaragua and were the center of her world. Her strength, warmth, and unwavering love for her family will always be remembered.”
The person who started the online fundraiser did not respond to Law&Crime’s request for comment on Monday. Their relation to Garay Sanchez is unclear. They describe the doctor’s death as a “tragic accident while abroad.”
