The full W5 Avery Haines Investigates documentary If I’m Ever Found Dead premieres Saturday at 7 p.m. on CTV, Crave and our CTV News YouTube channel.

Ryan Friesen, a Canadian man at the heart of a W5 investigation, has been declared guilty by a Mexican magistrate of killing his girlfriend, Kiara Agnew, at five-star resort in March 2023.

Kiara was found beaten to death in a resort laundry room, with Ryan sleeping next to her dead body.

Ryan was immediately arrested and charged with her killing at the time, but was found not guilty in September 2024 after a judge-only trial.

Kiara’s family learned of the decision being overturned by the independent magistrate earlier today after being notified by Global Affairs Canada.

“… The verdict was overturned by the judge, however, I am also learning that the lawyers of the accused have placed an ‘amparo’ on this decision. My understanding is that the amparo is a mechanism that allows a person to challenge the judge’s decision,” a GAC consulate case management officer wrote to Kiara’s parents, Michele and Trevor.

W5 has learned that the process of Ryan’s appeal will be concluded within months and that he will remain in Canada until the resolution of his appeal.

Ryan’s lawyers are appealing the decision. He faces up to 50 years in jail in Mexico if the appeal is unsuccessful.

Kiara Agnew and Ryan Friesen Mexico Kiara Agnew and Ryan Friesen were in Mexico to celebrate Kiara’s 24th birthday. (CTV News) ‘Ryan Friesen murdered Kiara Agnew’

Kiara’s aunt, Tanya, who has long been a driving force in organizing protests across Canada to bring Kiara’s killer to justice, spoke to W5 in an interview shortly after learning of Ryan being declared guilty.

“Now we can say, Ryan Friesen murdered Kiara Agnew. We can say that. And that’s powerful in itself because we have been muted and threatened,” Tanya said.

“And now we don’t have to say ‘allegedly’ or ‘in our belief,’ we can now say ‘Ryan Friesen murdered Kiara Agnew.’ And that is such a powerful statement. And I’m so proud to be able to say it.”

Tanya added that she feels like her niece can now peacefully rest.

“We have been fighting for justice for Kiara, and we achieved it,” she said.

“I hope we are a message to any other family going through this, never give up, even when people say it’s impossible. Don’t you ever give up on your people.”

The couple, from Dawson Creek, B.C., had travelled to the Grand Sunset Princess Hotel in Playa del Carmen to celebrate her 24th birthday.

Hours later, Kiara was beaten to death. When the couple was found in the laundry room by a resort cleaner, Ryan was covered in blood with swollen fists and bruises.

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Kiara Agnew and Ryan Friesen Mexico Kiara Agnew and Ryan Friesen were in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, to celebrate Kiara’s 24th birthday. (CTV News) DNA evidence

At Ryan’s trial, his lawyers argued that DNA evidence under Kiara’s fingernails indicated an unknown male’s DNA was identified, and his was not present.

They also argued that the injuries suffered by Kiara were so severe, they could not have been caused by a single attacker.

W5 asked Dave Perry, the Chairman of Investigative Solutions Network and a former Toronto Police Service homicide investigator, to review photos of both Ryan and Kiara’s injuries.

“All of her injuries are supportive of somebody that was beaten horribly. And his injuries would match that kind of an attack,” said Perry.

“The level of the violence by an angry partner is probably some of the worst violence I’ve ever seen. And this doesn’t surprise me in terms of the level of violence. It’s actually in keeping with a lot of domestic homicides that I’ve seen over the years.”

Ryan claimed it was the cartel

In an interview with W5, Kiara’s stepfather said Ryan claimed the cartel had killed her.

The Sinaloa Cartel has a firm grip on the territory surrounding the Grand Sunset Princess Hotel in Playa del Carmen. Local businesses must pay a so-called “cartel tax” to be able to operate in their territory. Refusal to do so can result in robberies, vandalism, assaults, kidnappings, or murder.

To test Ryan’s claims whether the cartel might be responsible for Kiara’s murder, W5 met face-to-face with a long-standing member of the Sinaloa cartel on a rooftop in Playa Del Carmen.

“The cartel have the control of everything,” Alberto, whose real identity is concealed, said in an interview with W5.

When asked about Ryan’s claims that Kiara was targeted in order to send a message to the resort, he denied it.

“No, no, no, that’s a lie. That’s a lie. The cartel don’t get in the hotels. And I know that story… That’s a lie… The cartel had nothing to do with that,” said Alberto.

Alberto didn’t deny that there is a tax or cartel violence in the area but added that tourists are only harmed if they are caught in the crossfire or doing business with the cartel.

He said that when cartels want to send a message, it’s very public, not on a resort in a laundry room in the middle of the night.

PART 1: Not-guilty verdict in murder of Canadian may be overturned

PART 2: Canadian at centre of girlfriend’s murder mystery in Mexico makes first public statement after verdict

PART 3: Did a cartel kill this young Canadian woman? W5 investigates a murder mystery