GoFundMe For Family Of Man Killed On Dominican Republic Vacation

MOUNT VERNON, NY — Police in the Dominican Republic have confirmed that the bodies they identified this week belong to vacationers Portia Ravenelle and Orlando Moore. They were killed in odd circumstances while on their way to the airport at the end of their trip.

While local and federal officials are calling for more investigation into the circumstances of their deaths, Moore's family is fundraising for the cost of the funeral and to support his children.

"The family of Orlando Moore made the decision to return him to the United States," his sister, Lashay Turner, wrote on the GoFundMe page called Justice For Orlando. "This must also be coordinated through the Jamaican Consulate since Orlando was traveling on a Jamaican Passport. Returning a body to the U.S. is a complex and expensive process. The family of the deceased is responsible for all costs associated with this process. I am raising funds to cover Orlando D Moore funeral services, investigation, and children."

Meanwhile Congressmen Eliot Engel (NY-16) and Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) wrote to FBI Director Christopher Wray calling for an FBI investigation into the deaths. She was found severely injured on a roadside and died in the hospital and his body was found in a car in the Caribbean Sea miles away.

"We write to request an immediate investigation into the reported deaths of Orlando Moore and Portia Ravenelle who never returned from their vacation in the Dominican Republic," the Members wrote in their letter dated April 10. "The FBI must work quickly to conduct a thorough investigation regarding details of their reported deaths that raise questions for us. It is essential that this investigation be conducted expeditiously so that both families can receive the closure they deserve."

Moore and Ravenelle were expected back in New York on March 27. Dominican authorities contend their rental car plunged into the ocean as they drove to the airport to fly home. Reps. Engel and Espaillat met Wednesday morning with U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic Robin Bernstein, who acknowledged the importance of learning the full facts of this case.

"Any loved one lost from Mount Vernon is a loved one lost for all of us, and we are heartbroken by the loss of Orlando Moore and Portia Ravenelle," said Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas, who reached out to both Engel and Espaillat's offices regarding the case. "We keep their family, children, and loved ones in prayer during this time of grief. The City of Mount Vernon is determined to get the full facts on the tragedy in the Dominican Republic. There are too many unanswered questions and the people of Mount Vernon thank Congressman Eliot Engel and Congressman Adriano Espaillat for taking action, requesting F.B.I. Director Christopher Wray to conduct a full investigation into the suspicious circumstances surrounding the deaths of our citizens who vanished on vacation in the Dominican Republic."

Click to Like Mount Vernon Patch on Facebook.