Kiara Agnew’s family ‘grateful and thankful’ for protest support to demand action on guilty verdict

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The Fort St. John community honked, waved and gave thumbs-up in support to demand action against a man found guilty of femicide in Mexico in 2023. 

On Sunday, February 8th, the family, friends and supporters of Kiara Agnew – a Dawson Creek resident who was found dead in her hotel near Playa del Carmen in 2023, protested Friesen’s freedom in Fort St. John in the empty lot opposite Mr. Mikes and Subway. 

Kiara’s boyfriend – Ryan Friesen – who was taken into custody and initially handed a ‘not guilty’ verdict, however this was overturned on January 23rd  and he has now been declared ‘guilty’ of femicide. 

Friesen will remain in Canada as he appeals this decision. Statements on his behalf were previously released by Denise Brunsdon, then partner at Bennett Jones. However, the law firm has since told Energeticcity.ca Brunsdon is no longer with the business and it “is not and will not be advising on” Friesen’s appeal.

Multiple protests were planned asking for police to detain Friesen in Dawson Creek, Edmonton, Moncton, New Brunswick and Ontario. 

Shelby Painter, a friend of Kiara’s sister, told Energeticcity.ca she is grateful and thankful for anyone who wants to stand here on a cold day in support of the protest. 

She said: “I had the honour of meeting Kiara a few times and she was just a very bright young soul. She was amazing [and] lit up any room she walked into.” 

Painter shared how important the protest is, not only for the family but also the community.

Painter said: “There’s more that goes into the hate and domestic violence side of things. It’s not only just Kiara, but it happens all over Canada. 

“So I think it’s something that needs to be looked into, and especially when there’s nothing happening abroad to take care of Canadians.” 

W5, the investigative unit of CTV, recently produced a documentary titled ‘If I’m Ever Found Dead’, which was released on January 24th, based on Kiara’s story. 

Since the W5 documentary, “there has been an outrageous amount of support,” she said. “Dawson Creek had a great protest last time. We’ve had the honour to talk to a few people.” 

Carol Kube, a resident of Charlie Lake, told Energeticcity.ca she hopes this protest will put pressure on the right people. 

Kube said: “For any person that goes missing, male or female, there needs to be justice and it needs to be a timely justice. 

“It can’t drag on for years and years until…everybody’s forgotten about them.” 

For Naomi Agnew, Kiara’s stepmother these protests are “very important.” 

She told Energeticcity.ca: “It’s very important for our family that he just pays for what he did and he shouldn’t be allowed to be free in Canada while Mexico has found him guilty of femicide.” 

The protest in Dawson Creek, which happened on February 7th at the Dawson Creek traffic circle, received a lot of support. 

“[We had] a lot of horns blowing, people showing up, thumbs up and clapping. It was a morale boost for us yesterday to have the turnout there.” 

Nicole Grimm, a protester, found out about the demonstration while watching TV. She said: “It really hurts me to hear that so many young women and young men are getting their lives taken. So that’s why I’m here.” 

Grimm feels these protests are very important as she wonders: “If he gets away with it, how many other people are going to be able to get away with the same problems?” 

Tanya Agnew, Kiara’s aunt, has also launched a petition to ‘enforce’ Friesen’s guilty verdict and as of February 9th, it has received more than 4,200 signatures.

To view the petition, click here.