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Oklahoma Teacher Dies Two Years After Caustic Margarita as State Opens Criminal Probe

Prosecutors asked state investigators to evaluate whether Holly Hill’s late-October death carries criminal liability tied to a 2023 restaurant contamination.

Overview

  • Holly Hill, 30, suffered catastrophic esophageal burns after drinking a Valentine’s Day 2023 Margarita at Hacienda Las Margaritas in Elgin that was reportedly mixed with an industrial cleaner.
  • She endured about 60 procedures over two years and died in late October following surgical complications related to the original injury.
  • The Comanche County district attorney requested that the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and Elgin police review the case for potential charges.
  • Hill’s family reached an out-of-court settlement with the restaurant earlier in 2025, and her mother has since initiated new legal action.
  • The restaurant expressed remorse, said it retrained staff and implemented safeguards with state regulators, and fired employees involved, while the precise path of the cleaner into the drink remains under investigation.