# Paradise Lost - R.I.P.



## Longford (May 25, 2012)

Sad story about two Canadian expats murdered in their home in Ajijic (Lake Chapala area of Jalisco) over the weekend: 



> The beaten and bruised bodies of a Canadian couple have been discovered in their home in La Floresta, Ajijic in what local police believe was a home invasion.


It's being reported they've lived in Ajijic for about 6 months. 

I attempted to post a link here but the software is not allowing it, saying _You are only allowed to post URLs to other sites after you become an Active Member and have made 4 posts or more._

However, you can go to w w w lakechapalacrime dot com to read the story.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

While the apparently terrible home invasion and fatal beating of these two Canadian snowbirds who had just bought a home in La Floresta and settled for the 2014 Winter is unspeakably tragic; this is not "Paradise lost - R.I.P." Paradise as represented by the "Lakeside" expat community and that local community serving their needs, was lost long ago. The myriad victims of crime there have not only been Canadians but people from all sorts of places incuding natives of Chapala, Jocopetec and other lakeside municipalities. 

The Paradise Lost is the newly tainted and formerly unutilized part of the lazed brain suddenly awakened by ostentatious events involving one´s seeming peers. The cockroaches always resided under the refrigerator and always came out from under there at night 
to feed. You just didn´t know it was happening until something terrrible such as this occurred.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

There are rare incidents of murders involving expat victims, but thousands and thousands of Mexican lives have been lost in the Cartel wars very recently and ongoing daily. They all count. 

Anyone who thinks they are moving to Paradise when they come here is just plain uninformed or living in Margaritaville.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

I apologize for seeming to harp on the subject of what happened a couple of days ago in what, for those of you unfamiliar with the "Lakeside" área, is one of the nicest, most affluential and civilized áreas in all of that urban zone comprising what is commonly called "Lakeside" around here. La Floresta, a self-governing Ajijic fraccionamiento developed originally in the 1960s and, today, a peaceful and leafy suburb to Ajijic Centro noted for its tree-lined ,serene and secure precincts patrolled by its own security forces, is one of the most desirable residential áreas in Lakeside and it has held that status for decades. My wife and I would live there versus the Six Corners Neighborhood of West Ajijic had there been any properties we like for sale there in 2001 when we were looking for a retirement home at Lakeside. As it came about, I often walk my dogs from Six Corners to La Floresta and then along Camino Real where this terribñle crime took place and a nicer and safer neighborhood for dog walking one cannot imagine. I will continue to do so.


What the hell is it that makes contributors from afar suddenly feel they can assess the civility and charm of any human settlement located distant from their personal bailiwick based on one instance of human depravity among many which have occurred under the radar - much less declare that instance evidence of "Paradise Lost". 

I have lived in and traveled through many "paradaisical" places all over the world but let´s just take one where an incident of a couple of days brought forth unimaginable depravity from the community´s most "civilized" elements. Near where we live in San Cristóbal de Las Casas in the Chiapas Highlands, there is the indigenous municipality of San Juan Cancuc, in the community of Cahcté where, just two days ago, two Young men from nearby Ococh were subdued , at first beaten and tortured severely and then burned alive by townspeople because they had driven through Cahcté and accidentally run over a local boy and broken his right leg. No due process. No mercy. The Lynch mod stormed the local jail, freed the incarcerated defendants and slaughtered them with no interference from local tribal law enforcement. 12 locals have been rounded up for ´presumed punishment for this savage behavior but I promise you that is going nowhere.

"Paradise Lost" my ass.


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## conorkilleen (Apr 28, 2010)

This is very sad to hear.


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

I understand and agree with those posters who point to violence all over the place - some areas have more, some less, no place is exempt. Recently in a relatively safe neighbourhood in relatively safe Toronto a young man was killed, a young man whose family had left a war torn country in Africa to give their children a better and safer future. Their dream was shattered, but many others have been able to build a new future here. 

For the couple in Ajijic who tragically has been killed, their personal dream of paradise has been lost along with their lives. For the rest of the residents of Lakeside, I guess it depends on how each of them view this - as a random act of senseless violence, which can and does happen anywhere, or as a personal threat leading them to live in fear.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

Additional information:



> Six months ago, Discombe had purchased the home in the lakeside town of Ajijic, a community well-known among Canadian snowbirds and expats. More than 15,000 Canadians live or visit the tropical town each year. Last month, Kular flew down to join Discombe in Mexico, where he's been spending his winters for the last 35 years, Kular’s son told CTV Toronto.


Read more: w w w ctvnews dot ca 

(still don't know why links have been disabled)


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

I also would like to extend my condolences to the family, and to those of you in Lakeside who may have known this couple.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

The head of the FGE announced that they have enough clues to arrest he suspects and that it looks like the victims knew their attackers.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

I agree with Hound Dog that La Floresta is one of the most desirable places to live in the Lakeside area; wide streets; beautiful landscaping and impressive properties. These things serve to illustrate that the bad things don't necessarily happen in the "bad" neighborhoods. Let's hope they find the perps soon so that people living in the La Floresta area can sleep better at night, though.


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## PanchodeSMA (Jul 25, 2013)

citlali said:


> The head of the FGE announced that they have enough clues to arrest he suspects and that it looks like the victims knew their attackers.


We visited Ajijic 18 months ago. While working with a realtor he said there had been an increase in burglaries, many through household help (or their associates) knowing the schedules and acting when the home was vacant. Maybe the victims surprised the perps and recognized them. Also, why the cops my already have suspects. Just speculating. Most burglars are not violent, at least in the US. 

And La Floresta is beautiful. Reminded me of Santa Barbara.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

"knew their attackers" comment. The following can be classified as somewhat verifiable rumor from other boards: The neighbors had construction crews there who were playing loud music and abusing an animal. The lady next door who became a victim in the case was a serious animal advocate. The workers activities were reported and three of them were fired.
Some think it was a "revenge" killing. So far, the police are treating it as robbery motivated.

That's it, folks.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

lagoloo said:


> "knew their attackers" comment. The following can be classified as somewhat verifiable rumor from other boards: The neighbors had construction crews there who were playing loud music and abusing an animal. The lady next door who became a victim in the case was a serious animal advocate. The workers activities were reported and three of them were fired.
> Some think it was a "revenge" killing. So far, the police are treating it as robbery motivated.
> 
> That's it, folks.


According to a Chapala board that is a rumor and they have no arrests so far and are investigating it further. The thread that contained this was deleted from the webboard yesterday morning. They do have fingerprints.

They state one Dodge Caravan was taken and other sources say 2 trucks were taken in the Canadian news. Mexican news states 2 "camionetas" were taken.

I seems to be not clear who did it, so far.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

Regarding the Canadians killed, one of the alleged perpetrators is still on the run. 

Another expat (from the USA) met a smililar, violent death in the Lake Chapala area, however:



> The remains of an American citizen have been found at Jocotepec, Mexico, along the western shore of Lake Chapala, Jalisco state authorities reported late Thursday. They called the case a homicide. ... The victim was identified as John Paul Ateel, 67, who lived in the Roca Azul neighborhood.


Read more: 

MGR - the Mexico Gulf Reporter: U.S. national found murdered in Jocotepec, Jalisco


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## conorkilleen (Apr 28, 2010)

wow, how sad. Stay safe out there folks.


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## Melody11 (Jan 12, 2014)

it is so sad, I also like to condulence the family and the friends of this poor murdered couple.R.I.P.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

It sounds like Lakeside may be less safe for expats than big bad Mexico City. I can't recall the last time I heard of an expat being murdered in the D.F.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Isla Verde said:


> It sounds like Lakeside may be less safe for expats than big bad Mexico City. I can't recall the last time I heard of an expat being murdered in the D.F.


Aren't you making the same mistake people make when they think Mexico isn't safe. The fact that there were two incidents in a short period of time tells us little or nothing about the safety. It is too small a sample to be significant. Does the fact that there were two mass shootings in the Denver area mean that all of the schools and theaters in Denver should close? Or is it just a coincidence that there happened to be two incidents in the same area.

But I suspect you were jesting.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

TundraGreen said:


> Aren't you making the same mistake people make when they think Mexico isn't safe. The fact that there were two incidents in a short period of time tells us little or nothing about the safety. It is too small a sample to be significant. Does the fact that there were two mass shootings in the Denver area mean that all of the schools and theaters in Denver should close? Or is it just a coincidence that there happened to be two incidents in the same area.
> 
> But I suspect you were jesting.


That's a good point, Will. I was basing my comments on anecdotal evidence, rather than using a statistically-valid sample of shootings.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

TundraGreen said:


> Aren't you making the same mistake people make when they think Mexico isn't safe. The fact that there were two incidents in a short period of time tells us little or nothing about the safety. It is too small a sample to be significant. Does the fact that there were two mass shootings in the Denver area mean that all of the schools and theaters in Denver should close? Or is it just a coincidence that there happened to be two incidents in the same area.
> 
> But I suspect you were jesting.


Not really.


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## conorkilleen (Apr 28, 2010)

The moment you think you are 100% safe anywhere, you might as well climb back inside the womb.

As it turns out the "Bubble-pat" population is not so bubble-ish after all.


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## The Largisimo (Mar 30, 2009)

What is a Bubble-pat?


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

I'm guessing it's an expat who thinks he/she lives is a bubble of untouchable safety because of being an expat.
Surprise!!


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## conorkilleen (Apr 28, 2010)

My definition is very similar to that lagoloo. I playfully refer to the Chapala society as Bubble-pats. Its like being on Mars but with no Martians.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

lagoloo said:


> I'm guessing it's an expat who thinks he/she lives is a bubble of untouchable safety because of being an expat.
> Surprise!!


Or it is expats who live in a bubble with other expats isolated from the world outside their bubble. Like all stereotypes, there is probably some truth to it for some but not for everyone living in the same environment.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Is the air in an expat bubble cleaner and sweeter than the air the rest of us living in Mexico breathe?


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## conorkilleen (Apr 28, 2010)

Isla Verde said:


> Is the air in an expat bubble cleaner and sweeter than the air the rest of us living in Mexico breathe?


Probably has a dank musk of Metamucil pedos y Ben-gay.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

I was just thinking about the Bubblepat notion and realized it's common to all people, everywhere, who live in upper class neighborhoods, gated communities and the suchlike where they are not in contact with the grungy realities of their less fortunate fellow citizens. It's not a foreigner thing: is it perhaps an economic thing?


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## sfmaestra (Oct 8, 2013)

It's hard to wax poetic while talking about "farts," but connorkilleen certainly gave it a good try.


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