Kyle Eugene Kester, 38, from Apple Valley, Minnesota, was killed in a suspected robbery at his property in the Palo Gordo area, about 20 miles northwest of Guadalajara. He was found half-naked, lying face down in his bedroom, having been beaten and stabbed to death.
The corpse had been in a state of decomposition for at least 48 hours before it was discovered, according to Cruz Verde medics. Investigators found two .22-caliber shell casings nearby, suggesting Kester may also have been shot.
Kester’s house had been ransacked and his motorcycle and power generator were missing, a friend reported. Images of the alleged perpetrators were captured by surveillance cameras that Kester had installed at the property. The suspects are two teenagers and a 21-year-old whom Kester had hired to install an irrigation system and who were frequent guests at his home.
The teenagers were arrested and could receive a maximum of five to seven years in prison, while the older suspect is believed to have fled to the United States and their getaway driver was detained but later released.
Having grown up in Minnesota, Kester moved to Mexico in 2010, settling briefly in Puerto Vallarta before moving further inland. He lived alone at the state-of-the-art 6,000-square-foot property he had built over two years in one of the most isolated rural areas of the municipality of Zapopan, with the nearest neighbors to be found a 30-minute drive away down a rugged dirt road.
Kester’s remains were flown back to Apple Valley, where friends and family will celebrate his life on April 27.