Mexico was supposed to be their “happy place,” where Orange County lawyer Elliot Blair and his wife, Kim Williams, went to celebrate their love on their one-year anniversary. Now his death and her pursuit of answers — and, perhaps, justice — are at the center of an international controversy.
Their romantic getaway evolved into a standoff with Mexican officials when Blair’s broken body was found Jan. 14 below a third-story walkway at the upscale Las Rocas Resort and Spa in Rosarito Beach. Officials in Baja California say Blair died in a drunken fall from an open ledge, while Williams insists he was murdered.
Rosarito police had shaken down the couple for $160 during a traffic stop just a couple hours before Blair’s death, Williams said, and official autopsy photos show scrapes on his legs, as if he had been dragged. Additionally, Blair, 33, had 40 fractures on the back of his skull, which is troubling because he was found face down.
A celebration of life for Blair was held Saturday, Feb. 11, at Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove as the controversy about his death persists. His mother, Stella Blair, remembered Blair as a kindhearted soul with a mischievous sense of humor who “touched the lives of so many people.”
Blair’s fate – and his family’s ordeal with Mexican officials – raises hard questions about who can and will intervene on behalf of American citizens who experience an accident – or worse, a death – when they travel to a foreign land.
Baja is a popular vacation spot, but what are Californians’ rights there? What’s the role of the U.S. government when something bad happens to its citizens across the border? And what recourse do Americans have if, as in this case, they feel wronged or victimized?
Congressman intervenes
“This (law enforcement investigation) is important not only because of the Blair family, it’s important because as Americans continue to travel to Baja and move to Mexico to retire, we want to make sure we…
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