Autopsy Finds Alcohol a Contributing Factor in Miami Doctor’s Death Inside Dollar Tree Store Freezer

What investigators say happened

A Miami-Dade autopsy has concluded that alcohol use contributed to the death of a 32-year-old doctor whose body was discovered inside a walk-in freezer at a Dollar Tree store in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood.

The doctor, identified as Dr. Massiell Garay Sanchez, was found in December at the discount store located at 968 SW Eighth St. Investigators have said she is believed to have entered a restricted employee area, gone into the freezer, and remained inside overnight. Employees later found her unresponsive when they returned to the area the following morning. Detectives ruled out foul play.

Autopsy findings: hypothermia and ethanol

The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office listed the cause of death as environmental hypothermia, with ethanol use documented as a contributory factor. Toxicology results included a blood ethanol level reported at 0.112%, along with an ocular fluid ethanol reading reported at 0.156%. The report indicated no illicit drugs were detected.

The findings focus attention on how intoxication may affect judgment, coordination, and the ability to respond to danger in cold environments. The autopsy does not itself determine why she entered a restricted area, but it establishes the medical mechanism of death as exposure to cold temperatures, with alcohol playing a contributing role.

Timeline and unresolved questions

The death has been treated as an accident rather than a criminal case, based on investigators’ early conclusion that the doctor was not forced into the freezer. Authorities have described the underlying investigation as centered on how she ended up in an employee-only area and why she was not located before the store reopened.

Separate reporting during the investigation described surveillance video as key evidence in reconstructing the doctor’s movements inside the store before she entered the restricted area. Officials have also examined physical features of the freezer area, including whether safety measures could have prevented a person from becoming trapped.

Civil lawsuit targets store safety and response

In late January 2026, the doctor’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit seeking damages exceeding $50 million against Dollar Tree and a store manager. The complaint argues the business had a duty to protect customers from foreseeable risks associated with areas such as walk-in freezers and to implement and enforce reasonable safety policies and procedures.

The lawsuit also alleges the store should have taken reasonable action to assist in locating a patron who was missing or unaccounted for.

Key facts at a glance

• Location: Dollar Tree, 968 SW Eighth St., Miami (Little Havana).
• Victim: Dr. Massiell Garay Sanchez, 32, a Nicaraguan anesthesiologist.
• Autopsy conclusion: Environmental hypothermia; ethanol use listed as contributory.
• Case status: Foul play ruled out; circumstances examined through ongoing investigative review and civil litigation.

The case now spans two parallel tracks: a fact-based reconstruction of events by authorities and a negligence claim that will be tested in court.