Another American tourist has died after falling from a third-story ledge at the same Mexican beach hotel where Orange County Deputy Public Defender Elliot Blair fatally fell in January 2023.
Joshua Palmer, 41, of Lodi accidentally tumbled from an open-air walkway at the Las Rocas Resort and Spa in Rosarito on Tuesday, Oct. 29, in a manner reminiscent of Blair, who police say also plunged from a third-story ledge. A Mexican newspaper said Palmer died after he was taken to a nearby hospital.
The deaths of Blair and Palmer ignited accusations of negligence from their families on the part of the popular beach resort.
“The news of Joshua’s death … opens the wounds of losing my beloved husband, Elliot, and rocks me to my core,” said Kimberly Williams Blair, who also is a deputy public defender. “How many more American tourists need to die or be seriously injured before something is done to stop this? It is past due time that the American-owned Las Rocas Resort and Spa takes accountability and does something to prevent these tragedies that keep occurring on their property.”
Las Rocas resort did not respond to two emails seeking comment.
Elliot Blair was 33 years old and celebrating his first wedding anniversary when he was found dead beneath the open walkway outside his hotel room, 308, on Jan. 14, 2023. Mexican authorities said the fall was alcohol related and classified it as an unfortunate accident.
Kimberly Blair and her family suspect he was brutally killed, but are resigned to the fact they will never know for sure. Some of their suspicion stems from a shakedown of the couple by Rosarito police during a traffic stop just hours before Blair’s death.
Mexican autopsy photos show scrapes on Blair’s legs, as if he had been dragged. Additionally, Blair, had 40 fractures on the back of his skull, which family members say is troubling because he was found face down.
In contrast, Palmer’s death appears to be accidental, according to ex-wife Kris Palmer. She said Joshua Palmer was talking to a friend, walking in a hotel hallway, when he fell backwards over the ledge near his room, 307, Kris Palmer said.
She questioned why there were no guardrails and why the small barrier wasn’t higher, especially after the death of Elliot Blair.
“These are deaths that should never have happened,” Kris Palmer said. “There’s no railing, it’s less than half a wall.”
Joshua Palmer, a world-traveled tattoo artist known for his freehand style, was in Southern California for a job and decided to take a quick trip to Rosarito. His ex-wife said he loved the seaside town and had been there several times.
Palmer was described as a free soul, a dreamer who “had more dreams than plans.” He would take long motorcycle trips and was a martial arts afficionado who practiced jujitsu with his two teenage sons, Wesley and Dean. He was an open book, his former wife said.
“If you knew Josh, you felt like you KNEW Josh,” Kris Palmer said. “He just wanted to live, so it’s really not fair. He had so much life in him.”
As in the case of Elliot Blair, Joshua Palmer’s family is battling Mexican red tape, trying to retrieve his body and get it home. They have established a GoFundMe page, seeking donations to help with the effort. As of Friday afternoon, $48,739 in donations had been received, surpassing their goal of $10,000.