The Harrogate district was shocked last week when two guests from London lost their lives in an apparent murder-suicide at the DoubleTree by Hilton Harrogate Majestic Hotel.
Eight days on, the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Chenise Gregory and Michael McGibbon, who were both aged 29, remain unclear.
Staff found the pair dead with stab wounds on the Tuesday night at 10.20pm. North Yorkshire Police said it believed Ms Gregory was murdered by Mr McGibbon, who then killed himself.
But the police and the hotel have said little since.
One of the key unanswered questions is why and how the pair booked their room or rooms. Under current coronavirus rules, hotels can only allow guests if the hotel is their main address or if their visit is essential for work, education or training purposes.
The family of Ms Gregory has said she was a childcare specialist. It is unclear what Mr McGibbon did for a living. The reason for their booking has not been revealed.
Devante Gravesande-Smith, a barrister from London who was a cousin of Ms Gregory, described her as a “loving and caring person, whose smile would light up a room”.
He claimed she was “lured to her death at the hands of her controlling and manipulative ex-boyfriend”.
We asked the hotel the purpose of the two people’s stay and how it verified the reasons.
A spokesman for the DoubleTree by Hilton Harrogate Majestic Hotel told the Stray Ferret:
“We are deeply shocked and saddened by the incident and our thoughts are with all of those affected.
“The hotel complies with the government guidelines in respect of who can stay. We are unable to comment further on the specific guests.”
The Stray Ferret has also asked North Yorkshire Police for an update on the case. It did not reply by the time of publication and, eight days after the tragic incident, many questions remain unanswered.
Read more:
- Family tribute to ‘beloved’ Harrogate hotel murder-suicide victim
- Police treat Harrogate hotel deaths as murder-suicide
Temporary detective chief inspector Jonathan Sygrove of North Yorkshire Police’s major investigation team said when the deaths were announced:
“We are treating Ms Gregory’s death as murder and we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.
“An investigation into the circumstances around the deaths is ongoing, but the evidence we have gathered at this stage suggests it was a suspected murder-suicide.”
There have been no police updates since.
