Leigh-Anne McKenzie: A Life Cut Short Abroad
Leigh-Anne McKenzie Photo from GoFundMe
The devastating death of 27-year-old Leigh-Anne McKenzie has drawn international attention, as her life came to a violent end in Brazil—far from her home in Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal.
Just days after arriving in Brazil in July 2025, McKenzie was allegedly killed by her former partner, Ian Alexander Bruder Hay, a 30-year-old military veteran, in a case that spans continents and is steeped in trauma and unresolved violence.
Their story began in Houston, Texas, where McKenzie endured a brutal attack in October 2024. Hay was arrested by local authorities and charged with Assault Family Violence Impeding Breathing. Reports indicate he held her captive, inflicted serious injuries, and threatened her life.
Despite the severity of the allegations, Hay was released on a $50,000 bond and absconded to Brazil in December, sidestepping justice and leaving McKenzie to recover physically and emotionally from the ordeal.
Her injuries were significant, including multiple spinal fractures and head trauma. In a moving GoFundMe appeal, McKenzie shared her experience:
“He had told me numerous times that he was going to kill me. As I feared for my safety, I tried to escape the apartment,” she wrote.
On 18 July 2025, McKenzie travelled to Brazil—reportedly to see Hay once more. Tragically, the following day, she was shot twice inside a penthouse apartment in Curitiba. Hay then turned the weapon on himself. Their bodies were discovered on 20 July after a neighbour raised the alarm, having seen blood leaking from the ceiling.
Brazilian authorities recovered an unlicensed firearm, a high-capacity 50-round magazine, a large quantity of ammunition, drugs, syringes, and multiple mobile phones at the scene—evidence of a disturbing and volatile environment.
The circumstances surrounding McKenzie’s death paint a grim picture of repeated violence, missed interventions, and a young life cut heartbreakingly short.
