Father, 2 daughters starved to death in Renton apartment, medical examiner finds

A father and his two teenage daughters were found dead in a Renton apartment in Dec. 2021. On Thursday, the medical examiner ruled they all died from starvation, ruling the father intentionally starved himself days after his daughters died.

Renton Police discovered the bodies of 33-year-old Manuel Gill, 17-year-old Adriana Gill and 16-year-old Mariel Gill in an apartment on Dec. 11, 2021.

Adriana and Mariel’s bodies were found wrapped in blankets on the first floor, while Manuel’s body was found in an upstairs bedroom.

Autopsies revealed the girls both died on Dec. 5, and Manuel died Dec. 11.

The King County Medical Examiner said there "was no obvious mechanism of death" for the three, and conducted a toxicological analysis. It found the father and daughters were "emaciated," and there was no food in the house. No other pathological or toxicological causes were found. 

FOX 13 News spoke to the girls’ mother, Betsy Alvarado. She lives in Everett. She said she had legal custody of her daughters, with Gill allowed court ordered visits on weekends. However, Adrianna and Gill had worked together to co-parent – but during the pandemic she noticed changes in the girls, she said her daughters became extremely religious and refused to see her.

"I cried so many nights trying to convince them to come back, but they felt like if they lived with me, they would burn in Hell because they wouldn’t be able to follow God’s word the way they’re supposed to," she said.

Alvarado tells FOX 13 News she tried to intervene, but with the girls being teenagers, she did not have many options.

"It scared me a lot. I called CPS (Child Protective Services). You know. I told them {CPS} the girls don’t leave the house. They don’t go to school regularly; that things weren’t right," said Alvarado.

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Police: Teenage girls likely died several days before father

A father may have lived for up to five days after his two teenage daughters died in his apartment, authorities in western Washington said.

The cause of death for all three was determined Thursday to be starvation.

According to the medical examiner, Manuel’s death was ruled a suicide due to the timing—as the girls’ bodies were already wrapped in blankets, likely having died days before him.

With no way to determine the girls’ state of mind and intent, the medical examiner formally pronounced the manner of their deaths as undetermined.

Alvarado tells us she is not satisfied with that answer.

"Their state of mind was, ‘oh my god we’re going to burn in hell if we don’t do what daddy says,’" said Alvarado.

Anyone with more information on the family or their deaths is urged to contact Det. Robert Onishi at ronishi@rentonwa.gov, reference case 21-12197.

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If you or a loved one is feeling distressed, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The crisis center provides free and confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to civilians and veterans. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Or text HOME to 741-741 (Crisis Text Line).

CLICK HERE for the warning signs and risk factors of suicide. Call 1-800-273-TALK for free and confidential emotional support.