Family seeks answers following death of Dawson Creek man in Mexico

DAWSON CREEK, B.C. — The family of a Dawson Creek man is looking for answers after the 32-year-old died in Mexico while in custody after being arrested at his resort in Playa del Carmen, according to a CBC report.

A police, autopsy and toxicology report, signed by the Attorney General of Quintana Roo, read that Thomas Hempstock was arrested on December 12th, 2023, at his hotel.

Hempstock was accused of displaying aggressive behaviour by the resort’s staff and was brought to a detention centre, Centro de Justicia Civica, nine kilometres from the hotel.

At 2:35 a.m., a guard noticed Hempstock in a “strange position” with a shoelace around his neck., according to the police report.

CBC reported that attempts to revive Hempstock were unsuccessful.

The medical examiner in Mexico ruled Hempstock died from suffocation by hanging.

The autopsy found cocaine in his system and a blood alcohol concentration of 0.04, which is about half the legal limit in Mexico and Canada.

Hempstock’s older sister, Samantha Hempstock, told CBC she wants to know why the police took his belt and watch but not his shoelaces while he was in custody.

“We want justice,” Samantha told CBC, “Thomas deserves justice.”

She said the authorities failed him and did not do their jobs.

“They did not keep him safe from himself, never mind from anyone else,” Samantha said.

Hempstock lived in Dawson Creek and worked as a commercial truck driver prior to flying from Edmonton to Playa del Carmen on December 6th, 2023.

Samantha told CBC he was supposed to travel with friends, but they could no longer make it, so he decided to go alone. 

The siblings talked every day while he was in Mexico. 

Thomas also posted a couple of pictures and videos to his Facebook page with captions like “Mexico is amazing” and “This is beautiful.”

In a series of messages provided to CBC, dated December 11th, 2023, Samantha wished him a happy birthday, and he asked for their shared Netflix password.

He had plans to stay in the hotel because he was getting sick and felt “like death.”

The siblings arranged his pick-up from the Edmonton Airport on December 13th, 2023.

Samantha told CBC that on the morning of December 12th, 2023, she woke up to a Facebook message from a Mexican funeral home employee looking for her brother’s next of kin.

“I am very sorry to inform you that your family [member has] passed away,” Samantha read.

She said she had initially wondered if it was a scam, but Global Affairs soon confirmed it was true.

“Consular officials are providing consular assistance to the family and are in contact with local authorities,” wrote Global Affairs spokesperson Grantly Franklin in an email to CBC.

The government department warned Canadians to exercise caution in Mexico due to high levels of criminal activity.

RIU Hotel & Resorts provided a statement to CBC via email and said staff follow strict internal protocols.

“Requesting the intervention of the police is the final step of the protocol and is only done in case a situation becomes completely uncontrollable,” Jorge Satorre, a spokesperson for RIU, wrote.

“Unfortunately, this was the case at the Riu Lupita on the evening of the 12th of December.”

Due to privacy policies, the hotel would not release internal security footage of Hempstock’s actions to CBC, and his family has also not seen the video.

CBC contacted the Attorney General of Quintana Roo multiple times but did not receive a response.

Leo Adler, a Toronto-based international criminal lawyer, told CBC some of his clients have struggled to get the full story around the death of a loved one in Mexico.

“They obviously depend a lot on tourism, and so they try to keep especially anything that results in the death of a Canadian or an American as low on the radar as possible,” Adler said.

The Toronto-based lawyer told CBC the family’s best option is to find a reputable local lawyer.

“When you’re in other countries, the laws are different, the customs are different, the level of investigation and standard of investigation is completely different,” Adler said.

According to a December 30th, 2023, update on a GoFundMe created by Jenna Davis, Hempstock was safely returned to Canada.

Davis created the fundraising page with the purpose of bringing the Dawson Creek resident home.

The costs were covered, but the family said they might have to be repaid. If the expenses remained covered, they planned to use the funds from the GoFundMe to cover a “warm farewell with family and friends.”

When the GoFundMe was closed, it had raised $11,270.

A celebration of life was held for Hempstock on January 20th, 2024, at Park Memorial Chapel in Edmonton.

CBC said the Trucker Song was played at the event to honour Hempstock’s love of being in a big rig like his dad.

“He was an outgoing, loving, kind, free spirit,” Samantha said. “He made a really big impact on everyone he met.”

Samantha created a new GoFundMe on February 2nd to hire a lawyer to find out exactly what happened in Mexico. She needs to raise $4,000 for the lawyer to begin.