Woman’s cause of death uncertain, authorities say

Prosecutors and police investigators hesitate to draw any conclusions about why a Huntington Beach woman’s body was preserved in a container of dry ice for months in a swanky Newport Beach hotel.

Officers found the fully-clothed, frozen body of 33-year-old Monique Trepp when they searched the ninth-floor hotel room of Stephen Royds at the Fairmont Newport Beach hotel last week.

Officers arrested Royds March 6 on suspicion of possessing and selling narcotics and proceeded to search his room. Inside his room, among other things, was a large “Rubbermaid-like” container packed with dry ice and Trepp’s body.

Royds, a New Zealand native, lived in the room for at least two years, prosecutor Dennis Conway said. He could not comment on how long Trepp, Royd’s girlfriend, had been staying with him before her death. After an autopsy, the county coroner’s office said it did not appear to be a homicide, but authorities are waiting for results from toxicology tests. Royds has not been implicated in Trepp’s death.

Susan Schroeder, a spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office, said it appeared Trepp had been dead for a while.

“We know [her body] was there for several months if not a year,” she said.

Many employees had not heard what detectives had found in Royds’ room, they said Friday.

People staying in the neighboring rooms were moved to another floor, said Fairmont Hotels spokeswoman Michelle Heston. The room was distinguished with only a small piece of red tape reading “Evidence” sealing the door.

Royds also went under the alias of Mel Proffitt, according to court records. Authorities did not comment on which name the room was registered under, but said he often paid for it in cash.

Royds was convicted of similar narcotics charges in 2002. He skipped his sentencing and has been wanted on a warrant ever since. He pleaded not guilty to charges of possessing and selling narcotics Monday.

If convicted, Royds faces up to 12 years in prison, Conway said. His bail was set at $1 million.

JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at [email protected].