A Canadian woman and her American boyfriend who went missing in Belize last week were found dead on Monday.
Francesca Matus, 52, from Markham, Ont., was in Belize with her American boyfriend of several months Drew Devoursney, 36,when they disappeared last week.
Local media said their bodies were found in the Corozal district, in Chan Chen Village around 5 p.m. local time.
UPDATE: Deaths of Canadian woman, American boyfriend in Belize investigated as homicides
Belize police have confirmed they are investigating the deaths as homicides and Devoursney’s mother said the American embassy told her that the pair were found with duct tape wrapped around their wrists.
“Our thoughts are with the loved ones of the Canadian citizen who passed away in Belize. Consular services are being provided to the family during this difficult time,” Austin Jean, a spokesman for Global Affairs Canada, told Global News Tuesday.
“Canadian consular officials continue to liaise with local authorities to gather additional information.”
READ MORE: Francesca Matus: What we know about the Canadian found dead in Belize
Nancy Rifenbark, a friend of the couple, confirmed the discovery to Global News Monday evening.
“They were both found…They are dead,” she said via Facebook.
Rifenbark was part of the search team Monday and was the last one to see the couple alive at a bar around 11 p.m. Tuesday.
A friend of the couple was supposed to pick them up Wednesday morning, but neither the couple nor their SUV was at their house.
The SUV was found early in the afternoon Sunday, abandoned in a cane field near the village of Paraiso, north of Corozal.
The Canadian government has not issued a travel advisory for Belize, but instructed Canadians earlier this year to “exercise a high degree of caution due to a high rate of violent crime throughout the country.”
– With files from Catherine McDonald and The Canadian Press