The senseless killing of former UFC fighter Ryan Jimmo was already a sad affair, but new details make it all the more tragic. According to his fiancée Roxie Reece, Ryan proposed to her earlier in the evening before his fatal parking lot encounter. Following the proposal, Jimmo took his bride to be on a drive to show her around Edmonton. That’s when a truck came out of nowhere and started tailgating them.
“So we took a left to let them go by, and they followed Ryan even more close,” Reece told the CBC. “And so now he and I were both like ‘OK what’s going on?’ And then he took the first right into that parking lot … I had no clue where we were at. So these guys pulled up real close right behind Ryan, almost as if they were going to hit us, and we both felt nervous. And Ryan felt the need to do something because we didn’t want them following us out of there.
“It was kind of scary. There was something not right there and I didn’t know what was going on. So Ryan, you know, got out to talk to them and they were not nice guys and Ryan came to get back in the car. And they said something else and he went back to talk with them.”
At that point the truck pulled forward and hit Jimmo, leaving him to die on the pavement.
“I was telling him I love him and to fight. And he fought really hard, Ryan did, for his life,” Reese recalled. “I felt helpless. And I lay beside Ryan and I talked with him and told him, ‘Come on honey, you can do it, you can fight, I’m right here, I’m right here.’ And it’s important to me that people know that Ryan was not alone.”
After a brief investigation, the truck that hit Jimmo was found and two men arrested. Anthony Getschel, 23, has been charged with second-degree murder, criminal negligence causing death, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death, and failure to stop at scene of accident involving death. Jordan Wagner, 21, is charged with accessory after the fact to murder.
Any justice gained from the prosecution of these men doesn’t do anything to lighten the grief felt by the friends and family of Ryan Jimmo, especially his love, Roxie. She recently put up a statement on Facebook remembering her slain fiancé, which you can read below.
The Story of us-
There is a story to be shared. Not just any story, but one of true love, true life and your true passions and strength on your journey…our journey together in these last days! You opened your world to me, and left every bit of you in my hands and heart… You saw the strength in me beyond what I knew, and you taught me not just how to be great but that I was a master at that which was already within. You always told me, “trust me honey one day you will thank me…” Well, that day has arrived honey, and I thank you beyond words this day!
You truly saw me Ryan, and all of the deeper things within, and you were the one who knew how to embrace that in me in ways I have never known. In our precious moments together, you taught me how to do this within myself. You were teaching me the whole time, preparing me, strengthening me for this life ahead…You left me with so much, you believed in me and strengthened me at my core. I will now do what I know you would have wanted to do which is to carry on your legacy, to take everything you taught me, the strength of you and all that you saw in me…and put it into action and be strong! “Let’s go to work!” I will honor you Ryan by living out the rest of my life in the ways in which embrace all of the valuable things you taught me honey!
Ryan Jimmo – beyond words you were the absolutely most incredible dynamic man I have ever known. The day that the Lord Jesus brought you into my life, was his greatest gift to me and the day my life changed for the better in every way- because of you! You truly saw me in the deepest ways and because of you Ryan, I got to experience and embrace true love with and from you in every way…In ways that I didn’t even know were possible. The true love we shared for one another In our months together is more love than some people often experience in a life time. We had a unique opportunity of moments together and boy did we embrace them to the fullest! We were given the gift of each other and you Ryan Jimmo truly are the love of my life…and will always be in my heart forever!
Thoughts of our precious time together and all of the valuable things you taught me resonate more and more. You believed in me more than ever and It is clear to me you were teaching me, leading me, guiding me for things yet unseen and yet you prepared me for it the whole way! I love you and respect you Ryan Jimmo and I will pass on and share with this world what I believe you wanted them to know, of you, of us and of your heart and your innermost passions. I will share the beauty of the man that you are in every way! To hone in and make each person who crossed your path into the best version of themselves that they could be…this is what you have done for me honey, and now….there is a story to be told. I will share it and put into practice all that you taught me out of love honor and respect for you Ryan Jimmo!
You will always be my Spider-Man on the rocks and I will always be your red canary in the gold mine! I miss you so much honey and thank you for being right here with me and always guiding me in the most valuable ways!