Nikki Guimond remembered as 'one in a million' after Valentine's Day death
Nikki Guimond is being remembered as a "kind-hearted" woman with a contagious smile after being found dead in her home west of Kingston, Ont., on Valentine's Day.
Her boyfriend Ryan Beckstead said he grew concerned while doing some last-minute Valentine's shopping on Sunday after she didn't respond to his messages — and drove by her home to find a crime scene.
The couple met about a month ago.
"I feel like I've known her forever," Beckstead said on Monday. "Every minute that I spent with her was not enough... She was a rare breed. One in a million."
Her ex-boyfriend, Travis Sayyeau, who lived with her on Creighton Drive in Odessa, was found with life-threatening injuries and later died in hospital.
Nicole Guimond, known to friends as Nikki, was found dead at the scene.
Ontario Provincial Police said they responded to a "serious incident" in the community about 20 kilometres west of Kingston just before 12 p.m. Feb. 14. They have not released any further details about what happened.
Autopsies are scheduled for Tuesday, OPP said.
Beckstead said he had brought up the topic of Guimond's ex-boyfriend the night before she was found dead.
"I asked her if she thought everything was okay and she was just more worried about him," Beckstead said.
"He's been trying to keep her — which I don't blame him one bit — but she had just had enough and she was trying to let him down easy."
One of Sayyeau's friends, who refused to be named, said he was a funny guy with a big heart who will be missed by his many friends.
Recently left Ottawa
Guimond began working as a bartender at Iguana Restaurant in Kingston in October after moving from Ottawa, the restaurant's head chef Becky Robinson told CBC News.
"When we got introduced to each other, I went to shake her hand and she just gave me a big hug," Robinson said.
"We all just fell in love with her because she was so contagious, her smile and her laugh."
Guimond was living in her mother's home, who left it in her care while she travelled, Robinson said.
She said Guimond allowed Sayyeau to live with her at the house in Odessa as a favour.
"She never says a bad thing about anybody. And when they finally broke up, all she wanted was for him to figure out his life and to be good. She was allowing him to stay there while he got things together and in order," Robinson said.
"She was the nicest human. I used to make fun of her because I had never met someone so selfless and pure before that. I couldn't wrap my head around how amazing she was."
Robinson introduced Guimond to Beckstead, her fiancé's childhood friend.
"She was a person that everybody should be very thankful for in their life," Beckstead said. "And she made a big impact on mine in the short time that I was close to her."
