Radio Canada learned that the main witness in the murder of a man from Quebec in Mexico in May has also been found murdered, one week after giving his testimony to Mexican authorities.

Victor Mason, 27, was shot dead in the coastal town of Puerto Escondido on the Pacific coast on May 15. Prosecutors said the man's body was found in Saguenay, Quebec, in his car in an area where only a few tourists live.

A week later, a Mexican eyewitness, Sergio Ruiz Longas, gave a statement to investigators, which Radio Canada obtained, identifying a man named Mario Omara Sanguinez Lopez as the person responsible for Mason's death. In June, Sanguinez Lopez was officially charged with murder under Mexican penal law.

The Attorney General of the state of Oaxaca confirmed to Radio Canada that Ruiz Longas was the victim of a murder at the end of May. The Attorney General's office declined to specify whether there was a connection between the two murders or whether the recent crime was intended to silence the witness.

Mason's family did not learn about the witness's death until two months later, and Edward Mason, the victim's brother, said, "It was a huge shock, it's like being in a really bad movie."

He added, "I never wanted this to happen to a man who was so brave. He saw everything. He decided to go to the police and do the right thing. So for him to be killed, I think it's an injustice."

After a week following Mason's death, Ruiz Longas told investigators that he was walking down the street when the Quebecer was killed in front of his eyes at midnight in Puerto Escondido.

The witness stated in his testimony that the accused "pulled out a gun and shot twice at the driver of the gray car."

He also recounted how the accused approached him at gunpoint and threatened to settle scores if he told anyone what happened. By the time he met the police on May 22, Ruiz Longas said he feared for his life.

He told investigators, "Mario Omar threatened me saying he would kill me if I spoke. So I’m afraid he will carry out his threats," and the witness was killed days later under circumstances that Mexican authorities refuse to disclose due to ongoing investigations.

The Attorney General of Oaxaca stated that the murder of this main witness does not jeopardize Mason's case, "The death of the citizen, who is a witness to the events leading to the initiation of criminal proceedings, does not in any way affect the course of the case, because according to Article 386 of the penal code, his statements can be entered into evidence at a time deemed appropriate,”

However, the defense will be able to contest the admissibility of his testimony in court, as it will be impossible to question him.

The Attorney General issued an arrest warrant for the accused on May 25, and the next day, he made his first court appearance charged with Mason's murder and was officially charged on June 1, according to a press release from the Attorney General of Oaxaca.

In light of recent developments, the Attorney General's office states that the judge granted the police a one-month extension to complete the investigation. The next hearing is scheduled for September 18, when the prosecution will present evidence against the accused.

Mason's family says that the lawyer representing them in Mexico withdrew from the case out of fear of retaliation.

Mason's brother said, "It creates a lot of tension, the lawyer who represented us in Mexico was afraid for her safety and left the case."

The family states that they have received little support from the Canadian government and quickly had to find a new lawyer to ensure they understood the legal proceedings, which are conducted in Spanish.

Mason said, "I feel very disappointed with the services provided to Canadians and families suffering from terrible things abroad."

Just a few days after the murder, authorities stated that Mason's death resulted from a fight with people he met the previous night over an unpaid bill at a bar in a local establishment.

Mason was visiting Oaxaca with his Mexican girlfriend, having arrived just one day before the murder.

The investigation revealed that Mason met four people—a man and two women, including the accused—at the establishment. When it was time to pay the bill, a fight occurred between the victim and the people he met.

The victim's family discovered a short video taken from Mason's cellphone showing the four individuals involved at the bar.

Before his death, the Quebec tourist sent a voice message to his girlfriend, suggesting that he was in danger. He mentioned that a group of individuals had approached him. Mason later called 911, stating that he had been robbed.

In the statement he provided to the police before his murder, Ruiz Longas recounted that Mason was killed around 1:45 am on May 15, on Emiliano Zapata Street in Puerto Escondido.

The witness was on his way to a friend's house when a motorcycle passed him carrying a man and two women and stopped near one of the apartments. He added that he recognized the accused because he had known him from the area for about a year.

Ruiz Longas stated in his report that a gray car arrived at the scene and that its driver, Mason, collided with the motorcycle, which still had a woman on it, knocking her to the ground. He said there was a fight between the four individuals, and the accused allegedly threw a rock at the Quebec car before pulling out a gun and shooting at him.

Ruiz Longas said that the accused then pushed Mason's body into the passenger seat and fled the scene.