Locked Inside: The Unanswered Questions in the Death of Dr. Helen Garay Sanchez

Locked Inside: The Unanswered Questions in the Death of Dr. Helen Garay Sanchez

On December 15, 2025, employees opening a Dollar Tree store in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood made a horrifying discovery: the body of Dr. Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez, a 32-year-old physician and mother of two, inside a walk-in freezer in the store’s stockroom.

Police say there is no evidence of foul play. Surveillance footage shows Helen entering the store alone, walking into a restricted employees-only area, and never coming back out. She was found the next morning — unclothed, alone, and trapped inside the freezer.

So how did this happen?

In this episode of Tier Talk, we walk through verified facts only — the timeline, the surveillance footage, the medical context of hypothermia, and the disturbing questions that remain unanswered. We explore why investigators say this is not a criminal case, what “unclassified death” actually means, and whether this tragedy points to security failures, mechanical issues, or a devastating medical emergency.

We also address the questions everyone is asking:
• Why didn’t she call for help?
• Could the freezer door be opened from the inside?
• How quickly can hypothermia become fatal?
• Could paradoxical undressing explain why she was found unclothed?
• And could this have been prevented?

This is not speculation.
This is not accusation.
This is a careful, fact-based look at one of the most unsettling deaths to occur in a public place.


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