Final sad moments of woman found dead in a Thai hotel are revealed: Karla was ‘dazed and lonely’ at a Phuket bar before she met a stranger for one last night of passion
An Aussie mum appeared ‘dazed and lonely’ when she walked into a Phuket bar, ordered two gin and tonics then started kissing and dancing with a German tourist – just before they had sex and she died at her resort.
Karla Drescher, a 47-year-old mum on a solo holiday from Darwin, went to Back Cat’s Bar at Kata Beach at 11pm on October 26, a bartender told the Daily Mail.
She chose a seat near the bar, and in front of a stage with a live band, and sat by herself ordering Hendrick’s Gin and tonics for about an hour, before she started dancing alone.
German national Perry Shamiri, 49, was already drinking Chang beer at the bar by the time Ms Drescher arrived. She approached him and they began to chat before he offered to buy her a drink.
The pair were laughing and taking selfies together, and quickly started hugging and kissing in front of everyone at the bar.
The bartender said Mr Shamiri appeared uncomfortable – ‘as if he couldn’t believe such a beautiful woman was giving him attention,’ he told the Daily Mail.
They left the venue together an hour later, arriving at the Sawasdee Village Resort at 1am where they ordered a bottle of Hendricks Gin and had sex until sometime after 4am.
A source told the Daily Mail that Ms Drescher fell asleep before Mr Shamiri, so he grabbed a resort-branded notepad and wrote her a love letter.
Karla Drescher, 47, is pictured holidaying in Thailand before she died after a night out
Pictured: The Back Cat’s Bar in Phuket, where Karla Drescher met German tourist Perry Shamiri
Perry Shamiri wrote a love letter to Karla Drescher (pictured) as she slept in front of him. He didn’t realise she was taking her final breaths
He wrote: ‘Thank you for the most beautiful night of my life. I don’t know how to say thank you.
‘Now I’m watching you sleep peacefully in front of me. You are the most beautiful woman I ever met. I love you.’
Mr Shamiri was too drunk to recall what time he wrote the letter, according to the source, but police believe she died sometime between 6.30am and 8.30am that morning.
He was woken by cleaners before midday, realised she wasn’t breathing and called police, who found him kneeling at the bedside, holding her hands and crying.
The source said he still smelled strongly of alcohol by 3pm that afternoon, while being interrogated by police.
He said Ms Drescher had ‘consumed a large amount of alcohol’.
‘We had another drink in the room… sex and went to sleep. Around noon I woke up when cleaning staff knocked on the door,’ he said.
‘When I went to wake her, she wasn’t breathing.’
Thai police did not find any signs of a struggle or injury.
Karla Drescher was born in New Zealand but moved to Darwin, where her son Travis was born
Ms Drescher sat at the bar, near the stage, at Back Cat’s Bar in Phuket (pictured)
His drug test came back negative and he was released.
Ms Drescher may have gone into cardiac arrest following an accidental overdose of anxiety medication and alcohol, but autopsy results will confirm her cause of death.
Prescription medications including antidepressants were located in the room, along with three open cans of alcoholic drinks and two cocktail glasses.
Her son Travis Deveraux said his mother was his best friend.
Mr Deveraux told news.com.au that he became concerned for her welfare when she did not text him back for two days.
He found out she was dead when he phoned her hotel.
He said on Wednesday that Ms Drescher’s body has returned to Darwin, but his family might have to wait eight weeks for her cause of death to be confirmed.
‘Mum is back home and we have now seen her,’ he said.
‘It’s still very hard for me.’
