Another South African woman has been killed abroad. 27-year-old Leigh-Anne McKenzie, reportedly from Richards Bay in KwaZulu-Natal, was gunned down while in Brazil two weeks ago.
News24 reports that McKenzie landed in Paraná, Brazil, on 18 July, a day before her death.
It’s believed she was shot and killed before the perpetrator turned the gun on himself.
The incident reportedly comes after her American partner, 30-year-old Ian Alexander Bruder Hay, was arrested for assaulting her in Texas.
According to News24, Hay has been declared a fugitive for failing to appear in court for this case in January. He had reportedly been granted $50,000 bail on 21 November, and then fled to Brazil – where he had been ever since.
In October last year, McKenzie launched a GoFundMe page where she detailed a violent assault that left her severely injured.
READ MORE: Help Aid Leigh-Anne’s path to recovery
In her appeal for assistance, she wrote that she was “assaulted, held captive, and threatened with death” in a 31 October 2024 attack.
“This was done by the guy I was temporarily living with.”
She described attempting to escape after being told “numerous times” she would be killed. While trying to flee, she was attacked.
McKenzie recounted hours of abuse during which her phone and laptop were destroyed to prevent her from calling for help.
“He told me numerous times that he had no choice but to end my life as he knew that he would go to jail if I was able to leave and call the police.”
She wrote that she had faced mounting challenges, with an expired work visa, no income, and limited mobility, while being “stuck in a foreign country”.
The Department of International Relations has indicated that it is assisting the family while Brazilian authorities investigate.
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This article has been updated with additional information.
