HOUSTON, TX – A man from Houston, who fled the United States while on bond, has been found dead in a high-rise in Brazil. Brazilian authorities have classified the incident as a murder-suicide, involving the woman he was accused of assaulting in Houston.
The woman, who survived a previous attack in Houston allegedly at his hands, traveled to Brazil two weeks after he posted bond and left the U.S. Brazilian police reported that she arrived in the country shortly before her death on the top floor of a high-rise building in Chiba City, southern Brazil.
Neighbors reported hearing gunshots, leading police to discover the bodies of the two individuals, both with connections to Houston. Inside the apartment, authorities found a pistol, ammunition, cocaine, and hundreds of syringes, along with several cell phones, watches, and jewelry.
The woman, identified as 27-year-old Liane McKenzie, had posted on social media about being assaulted and held captive in Houston. She accused the man, Ian Hey, of the attack, which left her with a fractured spine. Hey was arrested, but despite prosecutors’ requests for strict bail conditions, he was released on a $50,000 bond without house arrest or a GPS monitor.
Two weeks after his release, Hey traveled to Brazil, where he held dual citizenship. He failed to appear for a court date in Houston, becoming a fugitive. Advocates argue that stricter bond conditions might have prevented the tragedy.
Hey’s defense attorney withdrew from the case, and Brazilian authorities are still investigating the motive behind the incident. They await forensic analysis and have not yet received a response from American law enforcement regarding the case.
Houston victim advocates are questioning the circumstances surrounding the case, suggesting that more stringent measures could have been implemented to prevent the tragic outcome.