British mother, 28, mysteriously passes away on Turkey vacation; Autopsy reveals her heart is missing
In a case that has shocked the world, a British mother of two, Beth Martin, died under mysterious circumstances while on vacation in Turkey, only for her family to discover during a UK autopsy that her heart was missing.
The 28-year-old from Portsmouth was on a family holiday with her husband Luke and their two young children, Elouise, 8, and Tommy, 5, when she suddenly fell ill.
Her death on April 29, 2025, has sparked outrage, confusion, and a desperate search for answers as her family grapples with the loss and the unsettling revelation about her body.
A Dream Vacation Turns Tragic
Beth Martin, a devoted mother and wife, embarked on what was meant to be a dream family holiday to Turkey on April 27, 2025.
The family arrived in Istanbul, excited for a relaxing break. Beth, known for her vibrant spirit, was looking forward to creating memories with her children, Elouise and Tommy, and her husband, Luke. But just one day into the trip, disaster struck.
On April 28, Beth began feeling unwell. She initially attributed her nausea and stomachache to food poisoning, a common concern for travelers.
However, her condition deteriorated rapidly. By the evening, Beth became delirious, alarming Luke, who struggled to communicate with local authorities due to language barriers.
An ambulance was called, and Beth was rushed to an unidentified hospital in Istanbul.
A Harrowing Hospital Experience
At the hospital, Beth’s condition was deemed critical. She was quickly moved to intensive care, but Luke was barred from seeing her.
The hospital provided little information, leaving the family in the dark about her condition.
“We were kept in the dark about the seriousness of her condition,” Luke later shared on the family’s GoFundMe page. The lack of communication added to their distress.
Beth was transferred to another facility for an angiography, a procedure to examine her heart. Doctors found no major abnormalities, yet her condition continued to worsen.
The family later learned that Beth was allergic to penicillin, a fact they had communicated to ambulance staff.
They allege this was ignored, and Beth was treated with the drug, potentially worsening her condition.
On April 29, 2025, Beth passed away, just 24 hours after being admitted. The sudden loss left Luke and their children devastated.
Compounding their grief, Turkish authorities accused Luke of poisoning his wife, subjecting him to intense questioning.
“I was accused of poisoning my wife,” Luke recounted on GoFundMe. “It was only after an interview with the police that I was cleared.”
The Traumatic Repatriation Process
The family’s ordeal continued after Beth’s death. Luke, along with Beth’s mother and a family friend, Ellie Grey, faced a nightmarish process to bring her body back to the UK.
They were forced to carry Beth’s body in a zipped bag through the hospital, an experience they described as dehumanizing.
“The translator tapped away at her body bag like it was luggage,” the family wrote on GoFundMe. “Like it was the briefcase of a businessman who’s late for a meeting. No compassion. No humanity.”
Luke paid thousands of pounds to expedite the repatriation process, which could have taken up to two weeks through travel insurance.
On May 3, he faced the heart-wrenching task of telling Elouise and Tommy that their mother was gone.
“I had to tell my babies that their mum isn’t coming home,” he wrote. “It broke me.” The family returned to the UK with Beth’s body on May 6, hoping for closure.
The Shocking Autopsy Revelation
Upon returning to the UK, the family received devastating news. A post-mortem examination revealed that Beth’s heart was missing.
According to the GoFundMe page, the Turkish hospital had removed her heart without explanation or consent.
“They have invaded her body and they have taken her heart,” the family wrote. “No explanation. No consent. Her heart. The piece of Beth that was more treasured than any other.”
“The piece of her that stopped for a moment when she heard her children’s first words. The piece of her that skipped a beat when she said ‘I do’ at her wedding.”
The discovery has left the family outraged and seeking justice. “We just want answers,” Luke said.
“Why did she pass away? Why was her husband accused? Why was her heart taken?” The revelation has fueled their determination to hold the hospital accountable.
Legal and Medical Context: Organ Removal in Turkey
The Martin family’s experience raises troubling questions about medical practices in Turkey.
According to the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Turkish coroners can legally remove entire organs without family consent under “exceptional circumstances.”
This practice is part of Turkey’s post-mortem procedures, where tissue samples and organs may be taken for testing without informing the family.
In some cases, organs are not returned before the body is released for burial.
Turkey has one of the highest organ transplant rates globally, with 61.5 transplants per million people in 2023, compared to the global average of 25.84, according to the Global Observatory on Donation and Transplantation.
However, this high rate has raised concerns about illegal organ trade.
The World Health Organization estimates that one in ten transplants worldwide are illegal, and Turkey has been implicated in black market organ trafficking, with hearts reportedly sold for $130,000 to $290,000, as noted in a DW report.
While there is no direct evidence linking Beth’s case to organ trafficking, the lack of transparency has intensified the family’s distress and sparked public debate about the ethics of organ removal practices.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Beth Martin |
| Age | 28 |
| Date of Death | April 29, 2025 |
| Location | Istanbul, Turkey |
| Family | Husband Luke, children Elouise (8), Tommy (5) |
| Initial Symptoms | Nausea, stomachache, delirium |
| Hospital Experience | Admitted to ICU, transferred for angiography, no major heart issues found |
| Allegations | Medical negligence, penicillin allergy ignored, Luke accused of poisoning |
| Autopsy Finding | Heart removed without consent, discovered in UK |
| Legal Context | Turkish coroners can remove organs without consent in exceptional cases |
| GoFundMe Funds | Over £200,000 raised |
A Family’s Heartbreak and Fight for Justice
Luke Martin has described the ordeal as “the worst and most traumatic week of my entire life.”
The emotional toll of losing Beth, coupled with the accusations and the discovery of her missing heart, has left him shattered.
“It has been the deepest level of trauma,” he shared on GoFundMe. The children, Elouise and Tommy, witnessed their mother’s distress, adding to their trauma.
The family has faced significant financial strain. Luke spent thousands to ensure Beth’s body was returned quickly, avoiding a prolonged wait through insurance processes.
Friends launched a GoFundMe campaign, which has raised over £200,000 to support the family. “Luke has spent thousands,” the campaign states.
“They are grieving, traumatized—and now trying to put the pieces of their family back together.”
Despite their grief, the Martins are resolute in their pursuit of justice.
“He believes passionately that this is something that cannot be taken lying down,” the family wrote.
They are demanding answers about Beth’s cause of death, the baseless accusation against Luke, and the unauthorized removal of her heart.
Ongoing Investigations
A negligence investigation has reportedly begun in Turkey, but no clear explanation has been provided for Beth’s sudden death.
The Turkish Ministry of Health stated that Beth died of “cardiac arrest due to multiple organ failure,” according to the New York Post.
However, the ministry disputed the UK autopsy findings, claiming Beth “did not undergo any surgical procedures.” This contradiction has deepened the family’s mistrust.
In the UK, a coroner’s inquest is pending, but the process could take up to six months, leaving the family in limbo. “A six-month wait now looms for a UK coroner’s inquest—time the family must endure without closure.”
The family hopes the inquest will shed light on the circumstances of Beth’s death and the removal of her heart.
A Call for Answers and Change
The Martin family’s story has captured widespread attention, with thousands expressing sympathy and support through the GoFundMe campaign.
Their experience has highlighted the vulnerabilities travelers face abroad, particularly in navigating foreign medical and legal systems.
The unauthorized removal of Beth’s heart has also sparked debate about the ethics of post-mortem practices in Turkey and the need for greater oversight.
“We just want answers,” Luke reiterated. “Why did she pass away? Why was her husband accused? Why was her heart taken?”
The family’s determination to uncover the truth is unwavering, and they hope their story will lead to changes that prevent similar tragedies.
As investigations continue, the Martins are focused on healing and honoring Beth’s memory.
