A Vancouver woman was found dead at a spa in Belize on Monday morning after a stabbing, local police have confirmed.
The body of Marty Thorne was discovered shortly before 8 a.m. local time, at a resort called RawSpa near Bullet Tree Village.
The spa is located around 100 kilometres southwest of Belize City, and 37 kilometres southwest of Belmopan, the capital of the Central American country.
A spokesperson with the Belize Police Department told CBC News that a caretaker arrived and found a pool of blood at a cabana (small hut) at RawSpa, and police discovered Thorne’s body around 50 metres away near a river on the property.
She had eight stab wounds in her neck, according to the spokesperson. One person is in custody in relation to the case, and police are looking for two more suspects.
The spokesperson said they believe Thorne may have known the suspects, and only her cellphone was missing.
They did not release an exact motive or cause of death, pending an autopsy.
Police say Thorne had been living in Belize since she was a young adult, and had returned to Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic. She went back to the Central American country around six weeks ago.
Authorities said they have notified Thorne’s two sons, who live in Vancouver, and their father is Belizean.
One of Thorne’s sons replied to a CBC News reporter when contacted on Facebook, saying he was still in shock and would check with family before agreeing to an interview.
A spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada said it was aware of the death of a Canadian citizen in Belize, and extended its condolences to their family.
“Consular officials are in contact with local authorities to gather additional information and with the family to provide consular assistance,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
“Due to privacy considerations, no further information can be disclosed.”
