In 2018, a high school teacher from New York City traveled to Mexico on her own for what should have been her dream vacation. Next, Lauren Kassirer, 35, was found on the verge of death in her villa, flown back to the United States in a coma, and later died.
“She was beaten. She was raped. She was left for dead, ”Lauren’s father Eli Kassirer told Inside Edition.
Three years later, there have been no arrests and no suspects have been named. His father believes the Mexican authorities botched the investigation.
“In my opinion, there was clearly a cover-up,” Eli Kassirer said.
The Inside Edition investigative team traveled to Mexico and rented the same lavish villa where Lauren Kassirer was attacked.
According to the text messages Lauren Kassirer sent to her close friend, she was immediately frightened by the villa’s property manager. She said he was hitting her and watching her from a window as she swam and sunbathed by the pool.
“Lauren looked pretty terrified,” Amanda Cadwallader told Inside Edition.
“He offered her a drink and take her to the roof and watch the stars. Lauren just wasn’t feeling well and said she was going to lock herself in the room for that night until the next morning, ”Cadwallader continued.
That same night, Lauren Kassirer was seen in security footage having dinner right next to the villa, but then the video mysteriously turns green.
What happened next remains a mystery. It’s a short but dark walk from the restaurant to the villa where the alleged attack took place.
The next day, she was discovered in her room.
The cleaning lady reportedly found Lauren Kassirer lying on the floor, naked and unconscious. But instead of calling the police, investigators say the maid and property manager washed and dressed her while a local doctor was called.
Records from Lauren’s Mexican hospital show “probable sexual assault” and “severe brain injury.”
Private Detective William Acosta has been hired by Lauren Kassirer’s family.
“There are bruises all over his body, there is a ligature mark on his arm, there are scratches,” Acosta said.
Acosta says video from a cell phone shows scratches on the arm of property manager David Chavez as he spoke with police.
“The property manager, the guy Lauren was afraid of – he was terrified of – you could see scratches down his arm. No one, neither the police nor anyone, has questioned or documented these scratches, ”Acosta said.
The property manager has not been named a suspect or charged with any crime. Inside Edition looked for him, but employees we spoke to told us he had moved to Switzerland. He could not be reached for comment.
Lauren Kassirer rented the villa through Airbnb. The company told Inside Edition that the property has been “permanently banned” from its site.
But it’s still praised on other travel sites.
Now Lauren’s dad says that with so many unanswered questions he’s worried they’ll never get real answers from Mexican officials.
“I can tell you that in Mexico they are laughing at my daughter,” Eli said.
The owner of the villa said there was no evidence of a burglary or a crime, adding that he had fully cooperated with authorities.
Airbnb said the attack on Lauren Kassirer “was horrific” and is committed to providing a safe experience, especially for women traveling alone, and that serious security incidents are exceptionally rare on their platform.
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