Guadalajara Reporter

A preliminary autopsy report has revealed that Canadian expatriate Ron Lloyd MacKintosh, 64, was strangled to death in the popular beach resort of Barra de Navidad.

Lino Gonzalez, a spokesperson for the Jalisco Attorney General's Office, told the Guadalajara Reporter Thursday that a murder investigation has been initiated but as yet there are no suspects.

MacKintosh and his pet dog Nikko disappeared around 5:15 p.m. on Sunday, October 21 in Melaque, after he dropped off a friend in his black, British Columbia-licensed 2008 Jeep Patriot.

His body was found in a field one kilometer outside of Barra de Navidad on Tuesday, November 6.  His hands were bound and he was tied to a tree.

Gonzalez said a belt found around MacKintosh's neck was used to strangle him but could not say whether it belonged to the Canadian.

Given the decomposed state of MacKintosh's body, it is likely that he was killed on the day of his disappearance, Gonzalez said.

Neither the dog or the vehicle were found together with MacKintosh's body, police confirm.

MacKintosh was a former senior field inspector with engineering firm Koers and Associates in Parksville, northwest of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. He had been with the company since 1987 and took early retirement.

MacKintosh moved to Melaque, Jalisco about three years ago, although friends in Canada say he had visited Mexico regularly for two decades.

MacKintosh only recently moved to nearby Barra de Navidad, which shares the same bay as Melaque.

According to friends, he was frequently found socializing at Hector's Bar in Barra de Navidad. "He was a well-liked fellow," one told the Reporter.  "He was a nice gentle guy just wanting to enjoy his golden years," said another.

According to Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs, MacKintosh's son and daughter from a prior marriage, aged 28 and 24, have been informed of their father's passing.

Gonzalez said the investigation will be handled by the Ministerio Publico (District Attorney's Office) in Cihuatlan but supervised from the regional headquarters in Autlan.

A more detailed autopsy report will be elaborated in the coming days, he added.

This is the second murder of a Canadian expatriate in the Barra de Navidad/Melaque area this year. In January, Robin Wood, 68, was shot to death during a home invasion in Villa Obregon. Following the killing, locals and expatriates came together to put pressure on Cihuatlan authorities to improve vigilance and security in the Melaque Bay area.

Among measures taken by Cihuatlan's mayor following Wood's death was the reactivation of the bilingual tourist police.