The sudden and unexplained death of a young physician inside a retail store in Miami has raised troubling questions and drawn national attention. Massiell Garay Sanchez, a 32-year-old anesthesiologist and mother of two, was found unresponsive inside a freezer at a Dollar Tree location early Sunday morning, a day after she was last seen entering the store.
Authorities have described the case as an unclassified death, noting that while foul play has been ruled out, the circumstances remain under active investigation. As police continue to piece together the events that led to her death, family members, community members, and the medical profession are grappling with the loss of a woman described as deeply dedicated to her work and her children.
The Discovery at the Miami Dollar Tree
According to Miami Police and local station Local 10 News, Garay Sanchez entered the Dollar Tree store on Saturday night. Surveillance footage and investigative findings indicate that she did not make any purchases during her visit. At some point after entering the store, investigators say she accessed a restricted employees-only area where a large freezer was located. Authorities believe she remained inside the freezer overnight, though the exact timeline and circumstances surrounding how long she was there and why she entered the area have not yet been publicly detailed.
Her body was discovered around 8 a.m. Sunday morning by a store employee who found her unresponsive inside the freezer. Emergency responders were called, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. The store was immediately closed as police launched an investigation, remaining shut until approximately 1 p.m. while officers examined the site and gathered preliminary evidence.
Police officials have emphasized that Garay Sanchez was not an employee of the Dollar Tree and had no authorized reason to be in the restricted area. They have also stated that there were no signs she was forced into the freezer, leading authorities to rule out foul play at this stage of the investigation. Despite this, the unusual nature of the case has left many unanswered questions about how a non-employee could access such an area and what led her to remain there overnight without assistance.
Customers who frequented the store expressed shock and disbelief after learning of the incident. One customer, Gerardo Nunez, told Local 10 News that the situation was deeply painful for the community, describing it as a heartbreaking loss marked by uncertainty. His comments reflected a broader sense of confusion shared by many who struggled to understand how such a tragedy could occur in a public retail space.
NEW: A 32-year-old doctor was mysteriously found dead inside a Dollar Tree walk-in freezer in Miami, Florida.
— Steven Latham (@wienerdogwifi) December 16, 2025
Police say an employee discovered the woman during opening hours Sunday morning at the Little Havana location. She was later identified as Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez,… pic.twitter.com/XYGlY8525v
The Miami Police Department has confirmed that the case is being treated as an unclassified death. Investigators are continuing to examine surveillance footage, store layout, and access points, while also working to establish a clearer timeline of Garay Sanchez’s movements before and during her time in the store. No official cause of death has been released, pending further examination by the medical examiner.
Who Massiell Garay Sanchez Was
Beyond the circumstances of her death, Garay Sanchez’s life and career paint the picture of a highly accomplished medical professional with deep personal ties to her family and home country. Originally from Nicaragua, she pursued a career in medicine that led her to specialize in anesthesiology, with a focus on congenital heart disease. According to her family, her work involved treating children with complex cardiac conditions, a role that requires both technical expertise and emotional resilience.
In a statement shared through a GoFundMe page set up by her family, Garay Sanchez was described as a devoted physician whose career was defined by compassion and commitment. Her family noted that she earned recognition for her work and that her efforts brought hope and healing to countless children and families. The statement emphasized not only her professional achievements but also the personal qualities that shaped her interactions with patients and colleagues.
Outside of her career, Garay Sanchez was a mother to two young children who currently live in Nicaragua. Her family described her children as the center of her world, noting that despite the demands of her medical profession, her bond with them remained strong. Friends and relatives highlighted her warmth, strength, and unwavering love for her family, qualities that, according to those who knew her, extended into every aspect of her life.
The GoFundMe campaign established by her family aims to raise funds to transport her body back to Nicaragua so that she can be laid to rest in her home country. As of Monday morning, the fundraiser had received more than $2,600 in donations, with contributions continuing to come in from people moved by her story. The campaign has also served as a space for messages of condolence, reflecting the impact she had on both professional peers and individuals who never met her but were affected by the circumstances of her death.
Her background as an immigrant physician has also resonated with many in the medical community, where stories of doctors leaving their home countries to train and practice abroad are common. Colleagues and supporters have pointed to the dedication required to build such a career while maintaining close ties to family abroad, adding another layer of poignancy to her sudden death.
Ongoing Investigation and Unanswered Questions
While authorities have ruled out foul play, many aspects of the case remain unclear. Miami Police have stated that they are continuing to speak with Garay Sanchez’s family as part of their investigation. One area of focus, according to Local 10 News, is whether she may have been dealing with personal or mental health challenges at the time of her death. Police have not provided details on what prompted this line of inquiry, nor have they shared any conclusions.
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The lack of forced entry or signs of struggle has led investigators to conclude that she was not coerced into entering the freezer. However, questions remain about how she accessed a restricted area in a retail store without being noticed and why she remained there for an extended period. Authorities have not disclosed whether the freezer door could be opened from the inside, or whether any safety mechanisms failed or were absent.
The classification of her death as unclassified indicates that investigators are still determining the cause and manner of death. This status allows for a broader investigation while awaiting toxicology results, autopsy findings, and additional evidence. Officials have not provided a timeline for when more information might be released.
Dollar Tree has not publicly commented in detail on the incident beyond cooperating with law enforcement. The store’s temporary closure during the investigation was described as a standard procedure to allow police to examine the scene without interference. It remains unclear whether any internal reviews or safety assessments will be conducted by the company following the incident.
The Independent has reached out to the Miami Police Department for further information, though no additional details have been made public at this time. As the investigation continues, the case has drawn attention not only because of its unusual setting but also because of who Garay Sanchez was and the life she led.
For her family, the focus remains on understanding what happened and bringing her home for a funeral. For authorities, the task is to establish a clear and accurate account of events leading up to her death. Until more information is released, the death of Massiell Garay Sanchez remains a deeply unsettling mystery, marked by loss, unanswered questions, and the abrupt end of a life dedicated to healing others.
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