Mother says son’s body remains in Mexico a week after the trip for a co-worker’s wedding.
BALTIMORE, Md. — A week after 31-year-old Chez Johnson was reported dead at a Cancun resort on Jan. 16, his family says they still lack police and autopsy reports and are struggling to repatriate his remains while U.S. and Mexican officials are contacted for assistance.
Johnson flew out Jan. 15 for a co-worker’s destination wedding and checked in at the all-inclusive Riu Caribe, relatives said. The next day, a family friend traveling with the group notified Johnson’s mother, Yulanda Williams, that he had died. Williams and other relatives describe a cross-border maze of unanswered calls, conflicting secondhand details and shifting funeral costs in Cancun. Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, where Johnson worked as an administrative associate, said colleagues are mourning and supporting each other as the family waits for formal findings from Mexican authorities.
Williams said she learned of her son’s death via a midday call Jan. 16 and later connected by video with a relative at the resort who confirmed the scene. She said she was told Johnson fell from a height near a stairwell and balcony, but details relayed to the family changed over time. “They first told me that his leg was broken. Then … that his ankle was broken,” she said, adding that a friend described rocks near the area that later were cleared. “They just would not talk to me,” Williams said of resort and police contacts. Johnson’s sister-in-law, Shantia Smith, said phone calls to a police station resulted in holds and hangups, and that repeated calls to the resort went unanswered.
The family says it has asked for the police report, autopsy and any video from cameras covering the relevant area. Williams said a friend was told the cameras pointed outside and had no audio. Smith said a funeral director in Cancun initially quoted approximately 174,000 pesos for arrangements and transportation, offered about $7,000 after a Maryland funeral home engaged, and then raised the price again once insurance was mentioned. The relatives contend the changes have delayed plans and compounded grief. Meanwhile, Sinai Hospital issued a statement remembering Johnson as a “wonderful colleague and friend” with a big laugh and “zest for life,” and said support was being offered to his unit.
Johnson, who graduated from Baltimore City Community College two years ago, was known in his family for his style, love of travel and seafood. Williams called him “my partner in crime” at family gatherings and said he was her youngest son. He left for Mexico after telling his mother he was excited to celebrate the wedding. The day after departure brought the call that upended their week. Relatives said they have tried the U.S. Consulate in Mérida, which covers Quintana Roo, but so far have received automated replies as they wait for a point of contact. They also said they are in touch with the Mexican embassy and a receiving funeral home in Maryland to prepare for transport once paperwork is released.
Deaths in major Mexican tourist zones periodically draw U.S. attention because of high visitor numbers and the needs of families navigating foreign legal systems. Quintana Roo remains under a Level 2 U.S. advisory urging increased caution due to crime, but Johnson’s relatives emphasize they do not know his final cause or manner of death and have not been told whether foul play is suspected. They say their immediate objectives are official documents and a clear timeline for release of remains. Riu Resorts had not responded to the family’s inquiries as of Thursday, according to relatives.
Moving a body internationally typically requires a certified Mexican death certificate, an autopsy report and authorization to export remains, plus coordination between a local provider and a receiving funeral home in the United States. The family says they are collecting those documents now, pressing for confirmation from investigators in Quintana Roo and a written account of what happened on Jan. 16. They are also pursuing fundraising and insurance steps to cover costs once an airline and funeral homes are aligned on dates. Smith summed up the family’s position: “We want to bring him home and we want straight answers.”
As of Friday, the family said it was waiting on the release of official records and a firm date for repatriation while contacts in Mexico and the United States continue. A further update is expected after authorities provide documents or a scheduled handover of the remains is set.
Author note: Last updated January 23, 2026.