Desiree Gibbon was in Jamaica looking for work before she was found dead with a slashed throat the weekend after Thanksgiving, according to the New York Daily News.

On Nov. 26, residents found her beaten-bloodied body just four miles from Montego Bay. Authorities made their rounds at nearby hotels to identify her body, with one establishment being the inn owned by her grandmother.

The 26 year old was staying at her family’s guesthouse while looking for temporary bartending work to save money for film school in Europe. Her boyfriend, Phil Rodriguez, previously told the Daily News that she complained about having problems with some new friends she met during her trip.

“Some friends were responsible, law-abiding citizens with jobs, but she also made friends with what she called ‘poor girls’ from the other side of town,” Rodriguez said. “I wouldn’t be surprised at all if she made what she thought was friends, but they were actually plotting against her.”

Gibbon’s mother, Andrea Cali-Gibbon, also believes her daughter was harmed by someone she trusted. “She didn’t venture out on her own,” Cali-Gibbon said. “It was somebody she trusted.”

Adding, “She was a tough cookie. I know she fought until she drew her last breath. I know she did. And I’m certain that her last thought was, ‘Will my mom be OK if I don’t make it?’”

Gibbon was supposed to fly back that following Thursday, after scouting potential musicians for a friend’s record label.

The ambitious young woman’s father, who is Jamaican, was at a loss for words. “It’s a terrible feeling,” Gairy Gibbon said. “No words to describe it. I can’t describe how I feel right now, standing here.”

Her death is currently under investigation.

More on this Story Can be Found Here