The family of Dr. Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez, an aspiring physician, is grappling with the tragic and puzzling circumstances surrounding her death, which occurred in a Florida Dollar Tree store.

The 32-year-old was found deceased and unclothed in a freezer chest at the Miami location on December 14. The discovery was made by a store employee in a staff-only section where the freezer is kept, according to investigators. Sanchez had spent the night in that area.

Sanchez leaves behind two children, and her untimely passing has left her loved ones searching for answers to the many questions her mysterious death poses.

“Even the family has a lot of questions,” said her cousin, Daniela Cortez, in an interview with The Post. The family’s sense of loss is compounded by the uncertainty surrounding the incident.

‘The thing is that even the family has a lot of questions,’ Sanchez’s cousin, Daniela Cortez, told The Post.  

‘We don’t know how this happened either. And we’re not getting any answers,’ she told the outlet.

The anesthesiologist, who was visiting relatives in Miami from Nicaragua, left her son and daughter at home, according to the Miami Herald. 

Miami police said she was last seen on surveillance video on the evening of December 13, entering the store’s freezer just before it closed at 10pm.

Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez, 32, was found dead inside a freezer at a Dollar Tree store in Miami, Florida on Sunday morning 

Her loved ones are now working on getting Sanchez’s body sent back to Nicaragua

The mother-of-two is believed to have made her way to the employees-only area of the store, where the freezer is located, and stayed there overnight

The following morning, police responded to the Dollar Tree after an employee discovered Sanchez’s lifeless body inside the freezer. 

It is unclear why Sanchez, who is not an employee at the discount store, would have entered the restricted area.

Investigators have ruled out foul play and are looking into it as an ‘unclassified death,’ the Miami Police Department told the Daily Mail.

The young, hardworking doctor specialized in congenital heart disease, according to a GoFundMe page. 

‘Her work brought hope and healing to countless children and families. Her compassion, skill, and commitment to saving young lives defined both her career and her character,’ the page read. 

Her loved ones are now working on getting Sanchez’s body sent back to Nicaragua, where her two children, who ‘were the center of her world,’ live. 

‘Her strength, warmth, and unwavering love for her family will always be remembered,’ the page continued. 

As of Sunday, $18,300 has been raised toward the $20,000 goal that will cover the costs of repatriation, transportation, and funeral services.

The store where she was found stayed shuttered as police continued their investigation, only to reopen hours later. 

Customers were left stunned and shaken by the grisly discovery. 

It is unclear why Sanchez, who is not an employee at the discount store, would have entered the restricted area

The doctor is from Nicaragua and specialized in congenital heart disease

Investigators have ruled out foul play and are looking into it as an ‘unclassified death’

One of the freezers inside the Dollar Tree store in Little Havana where a woman’s body was found on Sunday morning, Dec. 14, 2025

‘It’s something painful, a family heartbroken now because of the death of a person, and we don’t know what truly happened,’ one patron told WPLG. 

Another customer, Margarita Puid, echoed their concern. 

‘I got to be honest with you, I’m totally devastated,’ she told CBS News. ‘I can’t believe in the Dollar Tree you’d find a dead body.’

Hugo Morales, another shopper, told the outlet: ‘I think it’s crazy. I’ve never head of something like that in my life.’  

Police are in contact with Sanchez’s family and are looking to see if she had any mental or personal issues, the outlet reported.  

A Dollar Tree spokesperson told the Daily Mail: ‘We are aware of this tragic incident, and our thoughts are with the individual’s family and loved ones. We are cooperating fully with the authorities at this time.’