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'It was my job to keep our family safe… and I failed': Husband's anguish after professor wife is found dead in makeshift grave on Caribbean vacation - as a Grenada native is charged in her death

Linnea Veinotte, 36, of Glen Haven, Nova Scotia went missing December 6 while on vacation with her family on island of Grenada
Her body was discovered in a makeshift grave a week later
Nearby residents recall hearing screeching tires and a loud thump, finding the family dog injured and blood at the scene, but no sign of Ms Veinotte
Shortly after midnight on Friday, 26-year-old Akim Frank turned himself in to police and he was charged with non-capital murder early Monday
Autopsy results showed Veinotte died from blunt force trauma to the chest and lower body after being hit by a car

Published: 13:17 GMT, 14 December 2015 | Updated: 13:30 GMT, 15 December 2015

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A bereaved husband has written of his grief after his professor wife was found dead after their Caribbean vacation turned to disaster - claiming he 'failed' to protect her - as a Grenada native has been charged in her death.

Matt Veinotte spoke out after a six-day search to find his lost spouse Linnea came to an abrupt end when her body was found in a makeshift grave.

Akim Frank, 26, a resident of Grenada, the island nation where the Veinottes were vacationing with their two sons, now stands accused of killing her after she went on an early-morning jog.

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Tragedy: Linnea Veinotte (above with husband Matt and sons Lucas and Issac) of Glen Haven, Nova Scotia went missing December 6 while on vacation with her family in the Caribbean island of Grenada

Mr Veinotte's body was discovered in a makeshift grave on the south end of the island Friday after a week-long search. Shortly after midnight on Friday, 26-year-old Akim Frank (right) turned himself in to police

Mr Veinotte and his children, aged five and six, were visiting the island from Glen Haven, Nova Scotia.

They had no idea what became of Ms Veinotte after she went jogging near the capital city of St George early on December 6 - until her decaying body was found almost a week later.

Writing on Facebook in the aftermath of the frantic search for his wife's body, Mr Veinotte said: 'It does not seem real; I am waiting and hoping that I’ll wake up from this 5 days of agony. I’m hurt… lost… angry… empty… and lonely.

'It was my job to keep our family safe… and I failed!

'Now I have to look into the eyes of everyone that knows Linnea, especially our two little boys and find a way keep them safe, to give them love, and provide in a way that only she could do.'

The National Post reports that shortly after midnight on Friday, Akim Frank turned himself in to police. He was formally charged in the death of Ms Veinotte early Monday.

The charge is non-capital murder, which implies he did not intentionally kill Ms Veinotte. Frank was remanded to jail.

Police revealed in a press conference Monday that according to the results of an autopsy, Veinotte died from blunt force trauma to the chest and lower body, and that she was likely struck by a car, according to Barbados Today.

Nearby residents say that shortly before they found Nico, they heard the sound of screeching tires and then a loud thump. They also recalled seeing a dark-colored SUV, which police believe was being drive by Frank.

Once police arrived on the scene they discovered the injured dog, a black bandanna, sunglasses, broken glass and blood - but no sign of Ms Veinotte.

Since then authorities, residents and Veinotte's family had been conducting an island-wide search for the popular professor, which ended tragically with the discovery of her body Friday.

Mr Veinotte - her high school sweetheart - thanked all those who helped with the search in an emotional Facebook message on Saturday.

Gone too soon: Ms Veinotte (above with her sons in Grenada) disappeared on December 6 and her cause of death is expected to be revealed on Monday. Police are still not certain if this was a crime or an accident

‘Thank you’ isn’t enough… and when I have time to reflect, I hope to be able to say thank you in a way that truly reflects how thankful I am to everyone over the past six days,' wrote Mr Veinotte.

He then said of his losing his wife: 'It does not seem real; I am waiting and hoping that I’ll wake up from this 5 days of agony. I’m hurt… lost… angry… empty… and lonely.

'It was my job to keep our family safe… and I failed! Now I have to look into the eyes of everyone that knows Linnea, especially our two little boys and find a way keep them safe, to give them love, and provide in a way that only she could do.

Nico, the family dog, was found badly injured after Ms Veinotte went missing - and is currently recovering from his wounds.

Ms Veinotte, the daughter of a Lutheran pastor, grew up in New Brunswick and attended Acadia College before going on to do her doctoral work in biogenetics at the University of British Columbia and then post-doctoral work in microbiology at Dalhousie University.

She had accepted a contract teaching post at St. George’s University on the island as a learning specialist, and her husband said that the family had been drawn to visit because of the 'wonderful people,' splitting their time between the tropical paradise and their home in Nova Scotia.

Ms Veinotte's body was discovered just two days after U.S. aid worker Sondra Lynn Elizondo was found stabbed to death in her Costa Rica hotel room.

'Linnea has had such an amazing impact on the lives of so many people. She touched people in everything she did. Her love for the world was contagious,' said Mr. Veinotte.

'She truly made this world a better place…. And without her in it, it won’t be the same…not for her friends, not for her family and especially not for Lucas, Isaac and me!'

MATT VEINOTTE'S LETTER FOLLOWING THE DISCOVERY OF HIS WIFE'S BODY

'Thank you’ isn’t enough… and when I have time to reflect, I hope to be able to say thank you in a way that truly reflects how thankful I am to everyone over the past six days.

'To the RPGF and Assistant Deputy Commissionaire Modeste, the staff at SGU and Steven Babiak, and the hundreds, if not thousands, of volunteers who were out looking for my wife; I thank you for everything you did to bring Linnea home!

'To Russ Jarman Price and his wife Kitty (people I barely know), words cannot describe how thankful I am. You both remind me so much of Linnea. In my time of need, you drop everything and devote yourself to finding my wife. The Facebook page, the press releases and most important, your support is astounding. It is people like you that give me hope knowing that the world is full of great people like Linnea!

'To Sara, Patrick and Heather, Debbie and Numa, John and Jan, Anya and Mark, Jim and Souad; friends have always been the most important part of our decision to live in Grenada! As painful as it is right now, Grenada is in the opinion of Linnea and I, the best place in the world to live and raise a young family. Thank you for everything you have done to add to our lives here in this truly special place.

'To Robbie and Kathy; I don’t know what I would have done if I didn’t have you. Friends should never have to do what you have done for me over the past week…. I appreciate more than anything your honesty, your willingness to always help my family and the unconditional love you have for us. Like it or not, you are our Grenadian Family and I love you!

'To my family, I am sorry…

'It does not seem real; I am waiting and hoping that I’ll wake up from this 5 days of agony. I’m hurt… lost… angry… empty… and lonely.

'Linnea…. Lucas and Isaac are very fortunate… They get to call you “Mommy”! Yet now, at their young ages, they will not get the full benefit of a lifetime with their mommy. The love you have for Lucas and Isaac will never fade. It’s my promise to you - and it’s my commitment to them. It is extremely painful right now because every time I look at them, I see you. Your beautiful smile, the sparkle in your eyes, the kindness in your heart, the gentleness of your touch and the confidence in everything you do. I just want a kiss… to hold you and the boys… to tell you that everything is going to be alright… but I don’t know how.

'Linnea has had such an amazing impact on the lives of so many people. She touched people in everything she did. Her love for the world was contagious. She truly made this world a better place…. And without her in it, it won’t be the same…not for her friends, not for her family and especially not for Lucas, Isaac and me!

'Linnea always said how lucky she was to be surrounded by great people. Her colleagues, her students and most of all her friends, made her who she is! A select few have helped define who she became… her New Denmark friends, her Lunenburg High School friends, her Acadia friends (especially the 4B girls), her UBC friends, her Dalhousie friends and most recently, our family at SGU… I owe you everything as each of you has helped to mold Linnea into the person she is… the person that I love more than life itself. I have had the honour over the last 21 years to call Linnea my girlfriend, my fiancé, my wife, the mother of my children and best of all, my best friend. I am forever grateful to every one of you for touching our lives, especially Linnea’s! Linnea would often say, “’Tis better to have loved and lost / Than never to have loved at all”- Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

'The support throughout this difficult time has been incredible! On behalf of our family, thank you!

'It is my hope that everyone that reads this and knows of Linn’s love for the world, will share their memories, their stories, their pictures of the time they spent with Linnea. The most important thing to me right now are Lucas and Isaac. In the coming days, months and years, I hope to be able to use this page to remind both of my boys how amazing their mother was and how much she loved the world and everyone in it… especially them!

'Goodnight Sweetheart, Sweet Dreams, Love You and Remember…'