Kiara Agnew: Banker, 23, found dead with 'possible marks of violence,' boyfriend Ryan Friesen arrested for homicide
PLAYA DEL CARMEN, MEXICO: A Canadian woman was found dead on Friday, March 3, at a resort in Mexico during her birthday trip with her hockey player boyfriend who has reportedly been arrested following her death. Kiara Agnew, 23, was found dead at the Grand Sunset Princess Resort in Playa del Carmen, south of Cancun. Her boyfriend Ryan Friesen, 26, is being investigated in connection with her death.
Agnew, a banker from the town of Dawson Creek in northeast British Columbia, was in Mexico to celebrate her upcoming 24th birthday with Friesen, who is a hockey player for the Dawson Creek Canucks. The Secretariat of Public Security in Solidaridad, in a statement, said that the agency detained a man now identified as Friesen after "a lifeless woman was found with possible marks of violence in a hotel located in the Xcalacoco neighborhood," according to Daily Mail.
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Ryan Friesen has been held by Mexican authorities
The Canadian government's Global Affairs department also acknowledged Agnew's death and confirmed that Friesen was held by Mexican authorities. “Officials are providing consular assistance to the families and are in contact with local authorities,” Global Affairs spokesperson Charlotte MacLeod told the Toronto Star, adding that “no further information could be disclosed due to privacy considerations.” The state prosecutor's office located in Quintana Roo also confirmed that Friesen had been arrested in connection with the death of a Canadian woman. Agnew and Friesen had reportedly been together for around 18 months and had booked the trip to Mexico at around Christmas time for a celebratory vacation days before the former’s 24th birthday.
'She had a heart of gold'
Agnew's aunt, Katlyn Levesque, told the Toronto Star: "She has been counting down to this trip. It is shocking. We want to know what happened. She was a beautiful, wonderful person inside and out. It's unfair that she was robbed of her chance to experience life to the fullest." Levesque did not want to speculate about the ongoing investigation and was waiting for autopsy results to confirm the cause of death. She added that Friesen's family was devasted after hearing the news. "They want to find out what happened as much as everybody else," she said.
Levesque told CBA News: "Kiara loved to travel, she has wanted to travel since she's been little. She had a heart of gold. She was vibrant, courageous, driven." She said that her niece was "an animal lover" and described her as "the kind of girl that would stop on the side of the road and need to rescue whatever animal is there - a bird, a cat, a baby raccoon, it wouldn't matter." Levesque concluded that Agnew's death was "beyond tragic for every single person involved."
Agnew’s office, the Lake View Credit Union, said in a Facebook post: "All at Lake View Credit Union are mourning the loss of our teammate and friend, Kiara Agnew. This is a devastating tragedy and loss for our community. We send our love and faith to all others who have been impacted."
