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Ontario woman found brutally murdered in Jamaica

Shirley Lewis-McFarlane, pictured with her son, Shawn Gavigan, was found dead in Jamaica.

Shirley Lewis-McFarlane loved Jamaica.

The 53-year-old Aurora, Ontario, mother of three had only recently relocated to the Caribbean island for good when her new life in the sun was cut short by tragedy.

Lewis-McFarlane was murdered earlier this week at her rental home in the popular tourist town of Discovery Bay.

Jamaican Constabulary Force Supt. Yvonne Martin Daley confirmed that police were called to Lewis-McFarlane's home around 4 p.m. on Monday and discovered the woman dead in her bed.

Despite some media reports of Lewis-McFarlane's throat having been slashed, police have yet to confirm the cause of death.

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"The information that I have is that she had bruises to her face so some blunt force was applied," Martin Daley said.

Lewis-McFarlane's daughter Amanda Gavigan, 29, told the Toronto Star that the bones in her hands and feet were also broken.

The case is being given "priority attention," and police have recruited additional help from detectives from Kingston, Jamaica.

Martin Daley told the Toronto Sun that police can not comment on whether they have any suspects or are aware of the motive behind the murder.

"There is some information we can’t give out because we do not want to compromise the investigation," she said. "But at the same time, we do want to quickly get to the bottom of this and solve the case."

There were no signs of forced entry to Lewis-McFarlane's rental home, she added.

"There was, in fact, evidence that whoever was in there might have been invited in ... and broke out afterwards."

Lewis-McFarlane married her second husband, Carl McFarlane, a Jamaican citizen, in 2001. Since then, she travelled back and forth between Canada and Jamaica. Her son Shawn Gavigan, 27, told the Toronto Star that she had finally moved to Jamaica permanently in November.

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Shawn, who spoke with his mother the day before she was killed, had been planning to visit his mother in a few weeks.

"She was just a caring person. She wanted to make everyone feel welcome and happy," he said.

"She was so full of life and tried to help anyone in need," Amanda wrote in an email to the Toronto Sun. "My friends always called her their second mother. She loved all her kids, and would brag about us all the time, saying she is so lucky. But really mom we're the lucky ones."

"Not only did I lose my mom, I lost my best friend in such a malicious way. It still doesn't seem real, but it is and I'm counting on justice to be served."

Friends and family offered support and wrote moving tributes on Facebook.

Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Mathieu Roy said Canadian officials are in contact with Jamaican authorities and are providing assistance to Lewis-McFarlane's family.

"Canadian officials are in contact with local authorities to gather additional information and are providing consular assistance to the family," Roy said.