Facebook/Tammy Lawrence-Daley An image that Tammy Lawrence-Daley uploaded to her Facebook page on May 29.
Tammy Lawrence-Daley is the Delaware woman who was attacked in the Dominican Republic in January 2019 at the Majestic Elegance resort. She told the world about her ordeal in a shocking Facebook post. Lawrence-Daley, 51, wrote in her Facebook post on May 30 that she was viciously assaulted at the all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana while on vacation with her husband and two friends, James and Diane Doering.
Lawrence-Daley, a mother of two, said that the man who assaulted her and left her for dead in a crawl space under one of the complex’s buildings was wearing the uniform of the resort when she was attacked. But Lawrence-Daley says that the resort is accepting no responsibility for the assault because the victim was unable to identify her attacker.
The Facebook post begins with the words, “How do you explain to your kids you were almost killed by some random stranger and that ‘Mommy is coming home, but I don’t look like myself’?” Among the injuries suffered by Lawrence-Daley were a partial loss of hearing in her left ear, broken hand, a broken nose and having her mouth “ripped apart.” That’s in addition to multiple internal injuries. At the time of writing, Lawrence-Daley’s Facebook post has been shared over 75,000 times and has 81,000 further likes.
In April 2019, NBC New York reported that two representatives of the state were asking the FBI to conduct a full investigation into the deaths of U.S. citizens Orlando Moore and Portia Ravanelle in the Dominican Republic. The couple died after their car plunged into the ocean on the island. The victims’ families believe that there are too many unanswered questions regarding the deaths and are calling for a more thorough U.S.-led investigation. In February 2019, one month after Lawrence-Daley’s attack, the United Kingdom’s Foreign Office issued a warning to UK citizens who were traveling to the Dominican Republic due to higher levels of crime being reported.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Lawrence-Daley Said She Was Trying to Get a Snack at Around 10:30 p.m. When She Was Attacked
Facebook/Tammy Lawrence-DaleyTammy Lawrence-Daley pictured in Ireland in July 2018.
Lawrence-Daley wrote that she was out partying with her husband and their friends until about 10:30 p.m. within the resort on the second night of their visit. When she went back to her room, Lawrence-Daley said she began to feel hungry. When she realized that it was too late to get room service, Lawrence-Daley told her husband that she was going down to the hotel’s lounge to get a snack. During her walk, Lawrence-Daley said she was going to try and get some photos of the moonlight on the beach. Sadly, Lawrence-Daley never made it to the beach.
LinkedIn/Tammy Lawrence-Daley
The post reads, “As I went through the rotunda between buildings, I noticed there wasn’t anyone in the hallway. Not majorly odd, but still eerily quiet. I took about 10 or so steps just swinging my wristlet back and forth, not a care in the world. That’s when I heard it. Heavy footsteps… one, two, three, four, then they sped up, and then before I could react I was plowed into from behind and immediately immobilized. His arms wrapped around me and he started pulling me immediately into an unlocked maintenance room…”
2. Since the Attack, Lawrence-Daley Has Gone Back to Work But Is Now ‘Hypervigilant’
Lawrence-Daley told People Magazine that in the months after the attack, she has returned to work at her job as a finance manager. She spoke being “hypervigilant” since her ordeal and “having issues” with men come toward her, even if they are being friendly. Lawrence-Daley told the magazine, “I do have issues today reacting to men and them coming at me, even in a friendly manner… My head is on a swivel. I’m looking out the corner of my eye, I’m turning around. I can’t walk down corridors without having panic attacks.”
When asked by the magazine why she had taken so long to come forward with her story, Lawrence-Daley told People, “I had to take some time to heal before I could put it out there. I’m in a place in my healing that I felt strong enough to be able to share it without breaking down and without worrying [about] what others are going to judge me.”
According to Lawrence-Daley’s LinkedIn page, she is a 1992 graduate of Wilmington University. Since then, Lawrence-Daley has worked for many different national insurance providers and financial institutions. Lawrence-Daley began in her current job in Wilmington in September 2014. On her LinkedIn profile, Lawrence-Daley describes herself as working in the Philadelphia-area.
3. Lawrence-Daley Said She Is Not Sure if She Was Sexually Assaulted
Facebook/Tammy Lawrence-Daley
In an interview with People Magazine, Lawrence-Daley said that she is not sure if she was sexually assaulted due to the “damage down there.” Lawrence-Daley said that when she was discovered and rushed to a local hospital, a rape kit was administered. Due to the length of time that has passed since the assault began.
4. Lawrence-Daly Said the Hotel Staff Tried to Tell Her Husband That She Was Passed-Out Drunk Somewhere
Facebook/Tammy Lawrence-Daley
Lawrence-Daley wrote in her Facebook post that she left in the crawl space under a building in “horrific pain” for eight hours. She described the area as a “hole” surrounded by 2 to 4 inches of wastewater. Lawrence-Daley said that although she had her phone, there was no cell phone coverage. At one point, Lawrence-Daley said she tried throwing stones at a metal door in an attempt to draw attention to her location. She told People, “All I knew I was in this hole basically buried alive.”
Lawrence-Daley said that hotel staff told her husband that she was most likely drunk and passed out somewhere. Her husband knew that the disappearance was out-of-character. The victim also wrote, “My husband and friends went to the front desk at least 3 times throughout the night before security even agreed to look for me.”
5. Lawrence-Daley Wrote: ‘This Man Thought He Killed Me’
Facebook/Tammy Lawrence-Daley
Lawrence-Daley’s post finishes with the words, “This man thought he killed me, but he failed. He is still out there, a predator, waiting for his next victim.” Lawrence-Daley implores people to “not walk alone” as “the next woman may not be so fortunate.” She complained that attackers are getting off scot-free and that victims are not being properly compensated. Lawrence-Daley complained that Majestic Elegance “didn’t offer to reimburse us for our vacation, let alone my current medical bills. Litigation went nowhere. Stories are being squashed.”
In her People Magazine interview, Lawrence-Daley said, “I always said the one thing I loved about myself was my smile. I always have a smile for everybody, I love my sense of humor and that’s the one thing that guy stole from me. He stole my smile and that just kills me.” When speaking about the legal ramifications of her case, Lawrence-Daley said, “One lawyer told us the only choice you have is to go home and forget about it. That’s not something that you want to hear… This isn’t how it should happen.”
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