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Iced woman overdosed on coke

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A former Huntington Beach resident found packed in ice at the Fairmont Newport Beach hotel two months ago died of an overdose of cocaine and ethanol, coroners said Thursday.

Monique Felicia Trepp’s body was found packed in dry ice in the hotel room of New Zealander Stephen Royds on March 6 when police were arresting Royds on suspicion of selling drugs.

The manner in which the drugs were taken by Trepp was undetermined — resulting in authorities not being able to determine if the death was a suicide or accidental, coroners said.

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The 33-year-old was previously reported by police to have been dead for about a year before her body was discovered in a 2-by-3-foot green plastic bin in the hotel room.

Royds is said to have been living in the hotel room at the Fairmont for about two years and told police he found Trepp’s body in his room more than a year ago, but decided not to tell police because he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest, according to search warrants.

The room Trepp was found in was also filled with items such as photographs of blond women, an electric saw and papers on body decomposition, according to search warrants.

Royds is being held in the Central Men’s Jail in Santa Ana on felony narcotics charges and his next court hearing is set for July 9, prosecutors said.

He has not been charged with failing to report a dead body, a misdemeanor, prosecutors said.


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