( CNN ) -- Three suspects appeared in a Mauritius court Wednesday in connection with the death of Michaela Harte-McAreavey , daughter of a leading Irish sports figure and wife of Gaelic football star John McAreavey . The three men are all employees of a luxury hotel where the 27-year-old newlywed was found strangled Monday , according to the Mauritius Police Force . Room attendant Avinash Treebhoowoon , 29 , and Sandip Moneea , 41 , a floor supervisor , have been charged with murder . Room attendant Raj Theekoy , 33 , faces a conspiracy charge . The men appeared Wednesday morning at Mapou District Court in northern Mauritius , police said . They 've been remanded in custody to appear again in court January 19 . `` We believe we have substantial evidence to connect them to the case , '' said police Superintendent Yoosoof Soopun , who is leading the investigation . Soopun said the three men were employees of the Legends Hotel , and authorities believe they were inside the teacher 's hotel room when she returned alone . `` We presume they were inside and burgling the room when the lady returned and were surprised and attacked her , '' Soopun said . The killer used an electronic key card to enter the room , authorities said . The former beauty queen 's husband was in the restaurant of the hotel when his wife was killed and was not a suspect , Soopun said . She had returned to their room to fetch biscuits to go with her tea . When she failed to return , her husband went to look for her and found her dead , Soopun said . A post-mortem examination showed that she had died from asphyxiation , said Dr. Sudesh Kumar Gungadin . Harte was the daughter of one of the best-known figures in Irish sports , Mickey Harte , the Tyrone Gaelic football manager . In a statement outside his house Tuesday , Harte said his family was `` devastated , '' and offered support to his son-in-law . `` What a day she had on her wedding day . She was just radiant , a beautiful girl , and I just love her to bits . So did her whole family , '' Harte said . `` We will miss her so much , '' he added . `` This is the worst nightmare that anyone can imagine . If you think things can be bad , then you go beyond that because that is where we are . `` This is too horrible to contemplate . We are just all devastated . It is the worst of the worst and our hearts are broken , '' Harte said . Harte asked the media to refrain from contacting his son-in-law , who 's `` isolated out there '' in Mauritius , he said . `` Our hearts go out to him , '' Harte said . `` The lad is devastated . He is our son-in-law . He is a wonderful young man . Please lay off . '' Harte-McAreavey taught Irish at St Patrick 's Academy in Dungannon , County Tyrone , in Northern Ireland . She won the Ulster Rose of Tralee contest and participated in other beauty pageants .
The year - old was on her honeymoon with Gaelic football star John McAreavey in Mauritius . Mauritius police say McAreavey is not a suspect in his wife 's death . ` ` This is too horrible to believe . We are just all devastated , '' said her father , Mickey Harte .