TARRANT COUNTY, Texas — A Tarrant County jury has awarded $31.175 million in damages against the ownership and management companies of the Royalton Chic resort in Cancun, ruling the property was negligent in the 2021 death of 35-year-old Arlington Firefighter Elijah Snow.
According to a 2022 lawsuit filed by his widow, Snow was found dead near the resort, wedged in a small window at a neighboring hotel with significant bruises, cuts and scratches, Business Wire reported. His cause of death was determined to be suffocation.
The lawsuit claims hotel bartenders encouraged excessive drinking without regard for safety. After dinner and drinks, Snow’s wife, Jamie Snow, went to their room expecting him to follow. When she awoke to find him missing, she contacted hotel staff and authorities. His body was found hours later.
Jurors were presented with evidence that the hotel neglected its own missing person protocols and failed to implement security measures to protect guests amid heightened criminal activity in the area.
