An autopsy Tuesday revealed that an Atlanta man and his Canadian girlfriend who had been missing for almost a week in Belize died of strangulation.
Drew DeVoursney, 36, a U.S. Marine veteran, and Francesca Matus, 52, of Toronto, had duct tape around their right wrists when their decomposed bodies were found Monday, according to police in the Central American country.
DeVoursney’s body was found on top of Matus’ body, according to the police report.
“Police continue to collaborate with the U.S. Embassy and the Canadian consulate as investigations continue,” police said.
Char DeVoursney, Drew’s mother, said she learned of the deaths of her son and his girlfriend from U.S. Embassy officials in Belize.
“I’m not able to really do anything, kind of just sit and think and cry and that’s all I’m capable of at the moment,” she told the Toronto Star.
The bodies of DeVoursney and Matus were in an “advanced state of decomposition,” police said, when they were found in a cane field in Chan Chen village in the country’s Corozal district about 10 miles from the Mexico border.
The discovery of the bodies came nearly a week after they were last seen leaving a bar.
Matus’ friend Joseph Milholen reported her missing after he went to pick her up to take her to the airport Wednesday morning, the police report said. It also said Milholen tried to call her and DeVoursney, to no avail.
The Toronto Star reported that Milholen said he found Matus’ packed suitcases and passport inside the house.
DeVoursney’s bicycle was found parked on Matus’ driveway, the police report said. Matus’ white Isuzu Rodeo, however, was missing. It was found Sunday in a cane field in Paraiso Village, about 10 miles from the bar, police said.
DeVoursney’s family had been expecting him to fly home to Atlanta later this week.
He had been living in Belize since December with a friend. His brother, David DeVoursney, said he had been dating Matus for two or three months.
A GoFundMe page was set up in his honor. It had raised more than $5,200 as of Tuesday afternoon.
