US Doctor Found Dead in Dollar Tree Freezer Sparks Comparisons to Walmart Worker Found in Oven

The unexplained death of a young US doctor found inside a Dollar Tree freezer has triggered shock, grief and uneasy comparisons to another haunting retail tragedy that stunned North America.

Massiell Garay Sanchez, a 32-year-old anaesthesiologist, was discovered dead inside a commercial freezer at a Miami Dollar Tree store early Sunday morning.

As police work to establish how she entered the restricted area and why she was found naked and unresponsive, the case has revived disturbing memories of a Walmart employee who died after being found inside a walk-in oven. In both cases, families and the public are left asking the same question: how could this happen?

Police say she had entered the employees-only section the night before without purchasing anything.

Doctor Was Found Naked in Freezer

According to Miami police, Garay Sanchez was found at around 8 am inside a Dollar Tree freezer located in an employees-only section of the store.

Dispatch recordings confirm first responders were alerted to 'a naked female in the cooler of the store', with staff reportedly telling officers they did not recognise her as an employee or customer.

Officers are treating the case as an unclassified death while examining whether Garay had personal or mental health challenges.

Police are reviewing surveillance footage and interviewing witnesses to determine the circumstances. At this stage, it remains unclear whether any foul play was involved.

A GoFundMe page set up for Garay describes her passing as a 'tragic accident while abroad' and is raising funds to repatriate her body to Nicaragua, her homeland.

The page notes her work as an anaesthesiologist specialising in congenital heart disease and says she brought 'hope and healing to countless children and families.'

Family members were spotted outside the Dollar Tree seeking answers from detectives. 'Her strength, warmth, and unwavering love for her family will always be remembered,' the fundraiser added, highlighting her positive impact on everyone around her.

Comparison to Walmart Employee Death in an Oven

Garay's death has been compared to the tragic passing of 19-year-old Walmart employee Gursimran Kaur, who was found inside a walk-in oven at a Halifax, Nova Scotia store.

The community was left reeling after Kaur's death, which raised serious questions about workplace safety. The oven design was meant to prevent accidents, yet the tragedy sparked a wider discussion about how employees could become trapped.

How Kaur Was Trapped?

Walmart staff and equipment experts questioned how Kaur became trapped. TikTok user ChrisBreezie559, a Walmart employee, explained that the ovens feature an emergency latch that prevents accidental locking. 'You have to push [the latch] with all your might and pull the handle to the side and lock it in place,' he said, stressing that the oven could not trap someone unintentionally.

Another employee, Mary, confirmed the oven controls are located outside, making it impossible for anyone inside to activate them. 'This door does not close by itself... It's designed not to do that. You have to push it, hear the click,' she said, also noting that the emergency latch releases the door if needed.

Several online commenters discussed different oven models, but ChrisBreezie559 insisted that all are designed similarly. 'No way an oven will lock without a latch or pressure, it will not accidentally lock, no way, no how...' she added.

Halifax Walmart Store Reopened This Year

Following Kaur's death, Walmart temporarily closed the Halifax store while continuing to pay staff. The Mumford Road location reopened more than three months later, welcoming employees back to work. Nick Ritcey of Walmart Canada said, 'Obviously the tragedy is still top of mind and it's something that will be sad forever.'

Authorities confirmed no foul play, and the oven was removed from service. After the incident, the store was closed and underwent a complete renovation, and staff had the option to work at other Walmart locations.

Walmart continues to communicate with Kaur's family about ways to honour her memory. A provincial Labour Department stop-work order on the bakery equipment was lifted after compliance was confirmed, but investigations remain ongoing.

Two Deaths, Same Unanswered Questions

While the two cases occurred in different countries and under different circumstances, both deaths have left investigators facing similar puzzles. In Miami, police must determine how Garay Sanchez accessed a staff-only freezer and why she remained inside. In Halifax, authorities were forced to examine whether human error, equipment failure or procedural lapses played a role.

In both cases, families are left grappling with profound loss while official investigations continue. For now, police stress that speculation is premature.

What remains is a shared sense of unease over how two ordinary commercial spaces became the scenes of such extraordinary tragedies.