Holly Morton-Bowles and Bianca Jones' parents are still grieving their deaths nearly a year later. Their parents urged others not to allow their kids to visit Laos after losing their daughters there.
Aussie Parents Called The Laos Government 'Corrupt'
Holly's parents, Shaun Bowles and Samantha Morton, spoke with the Herald Sun ahead of her death anniversary. They spoke about their discontent at how the 'corrupt' Laos government handled the investigation of Holly and Bianca's deaths.
'We recognise how corrupt and unhelpful the Laos Government (is), there is no evidence whatsoever to suggest there is any type of investigation going on,' they said (via New York Post).
Following the incident, Bowles and Morton hoped that their fellow Australians would skip Laos if they plan an Asian trip.
'(Our) hope is that Australians remove this country from their bucket list, your life is worth nothing over there and we have seen this first-hand as well as other families that have been involved in this tragedy,' they added.
Bianca's parents felt the same. According to Mark and Michelle Jones, 'to date, no individual or organisation has been held accountable.'
For them, it appears these deaths of innocent young women may be forgotten, brushed aside, and left unresolved.'
The parents of Australian teenagers Holly Morton-Bowles and Bianca Jones, who tragically died in the Laos methanol poisoning incident in November last year, say they are still waiting for answers from the investigation. #laos #methanol #tragedy #hollymortonbowles #biancajones pic.twitter.com/3kviI73LlB
— 7NEWS Australia (@7NewsAustralia) November 9, 2025
What Happened To Bianca And Holly During Their Trip To Laos?
Bianca and Holly were high school friends. Both were 19 when they planned for a Southeast Asia backpacking trip in 2014 after finishing their studies.
According to their family, the pair was inseparable and shared a love for travelling. Unfortunately, their dream getaway turned into a nightmare when they died due to suspected methanol poisoning in Laos.
They were staying at a hostel in Van Vieng, north of the Laos capital, Vientiane, when both got sick. They were immediately flown to the neighbouring country, Thailand, where they fought for their lives.
'Our beautiful Bianca was on a dream getaway with her best friend Holly,' Bianca's family said in a statement at the time. 'They were filled with joy and had such incredible adventures ahead of them, travelling through Asia.'
How Did the Laos Government React To Methanol Poisoning?
Aside from Holly and Bianca, four other tourists died from suspected methanol poisoning. Authorities arrested at least eight staff members.
The Laos ministry said in a statement that it was 'profoundly saddened over the loss of lives of foreign tourists.' It also pledged 'to find causes of the incident and to bring the perpetrators to justice in accordance with the law.'
In May, Michelle Jones and Samantha Morton appeared on Today following reports that the Laos government was planning to charge 13 men over the methanol poisoning incidents. The host mentioned that the proposed charges included the elimination of evidence but not murder or manslaughter before asking the two mums how they felt about it.
'It's another blow, right?' Samantha reacted. 'It just hits you pretty hard again. And it's just not right, it's just not right.'
The two mothers spoke about the charges in an interview with 60 Minutes, doubling down on their dismay.
'Pretty appalling, I'd say pretty insulting,' Samantha said. 'We know that there's no murder or manslaughter charges, which we feel there should be.'
Michelle shared the same sentiment, saying they were 'pretty furious about it.'
