In August of 2021, a family from Guadeloupe rented a four-bedroom lake house in Wellington, Florida through Airbnb for a family vacation. After a morning of watching television and playing
with her four siblings, Lydie Lavenir put her 19-month-old Enora down for a nap. Two hours later, when Lavenir went to check on her, she discovered that her toddler had passed away in her sleep, The Washington Post reported.

“It’s like we fell into a trap,” Enora’s father, Boris Lavenir, explained.

Both an autopsy by the Palm Beach County medical examiner and another independent toxicology determined that Enora’s system contained a lethal amount of fentanyl. Investigators initially suspected the baby’s parents, but were unable to find drugs among their belongings, and Lydie and Boris had tested negative.

Previous renters of the property were questioned, and it was discovered that one of them had hosted a party where recreational drug use occurred. They admitted to using cocaine, but denied the use of fentanyl.

“I am currently unable to determine how the child Enora Lavenir ingested the fentanyl,” an investigator wrote in the latest report. “Therefore I am unable to develop probable cause for abuse or neglect leading to the death of Enora. Currently the manner of death is listed as accidental.”

The Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office has closed the case, but the parents of Enora are still seeking justice. The Lavenirs are now suing Airbnb, the property owner, the rental’s manager, and the renter who had hosted the party. They believe that the fentanyl that took the life of their child was left behind by partygoers, and not cleaned up after their departure.

“Our hearts go out to the Lavenir family and their loved ones for their devastating loss,” Airbnb said in a statement.

Lars Noah, a law professor at the University of Florida, says that the lawsuit against Airbnb is unlikely to make it to trial.

“They can prove that the child died from fentanyl exposure, but where that fentanyl comes from, linking it to this particular group, that just sounds monstrously difficult under these circumstances.”