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By JACK TOLEDO

Published: 02:08 GMT, 2 January 2026 | Updated: 02:09 GMT, 2 January 2026

A Wisconsin woman died after she was brutally assaulted while leading a horseback riding tour on an idyllic beach in Antigua and Barbuda.

Karen Johannsen was on horseback at Runaway Beach in Dickenson Bay when she was struck in the back of the head with a blunt object around 11am on December 19, according to the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda.

Emergency personnel transported the 66-year-old to Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre to be treated for her serious injuries. Johannsen was then airlifted to University Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin, on December 21.

Her family said that the brutal attack left the victim with a fractured jaw, several broken bones, and a massive head injury, according to the Independent.

Doctors put her on life support and told her loved ones that Johannsen would not recover her neurological function.

She was pronounced dead on December 26, one week after she was attacked.

A homicide investigation was launched, and officials said that the unnamed male suspect was in police custody.

Karen Johannsen, 66, died after she was struck in the back of the head during a brutal attack as she was leading a horseback riding tour in Antigua and Barbuda

Officials said Johannsen was attacked at Runaway Beach in Dickenson Bay

Johannsen’s sister, Lyn, told WMTV that the suspect is a former boyfriend.

According to the victim's social media, she lived in Saint John's, Antigua and Barbuda, and frequently advertised her horseback riding tours along the beach.

Her parents owned Johannsen’s Greenhouse, a staple in Madison for 50 years, which closed in 2013, according to the outlet.

Lyn also told Antigua News that Johannsen was a registered organ donor and was scheduled for a procedure shortly after her passing.