A retiree from Quebec has been found slain at his residence in Cancun, Mexican officials say.

Daniel Lavoie, 62, was killed "with violence,'' the attorney general's office for the Mexican state Quintana Roo said Sunday.

Lavoie once served as an honorary consul in Mexico.

Milenio, a local newspaper, reported Lavoie's body was found by a friend who hadn't been able to reach him for some time.

Sergio Rosco, chief of communications for the public security secretariat of Quintana Roo, told CBC News that police officers first on the scene found a written message left with the body. He stressed that the information is preliminary and not confirmed.

He said the note referred to the consequences of sexual violence against children.

The state's attorney general's office has launched an investigation but has not commented on a possible motive for the killing.

Quintana Roo police said Lavoie had taught English and French, and he held the position at the Canadian consul a decade ago.

According to his Facebook page, Lavoie was a nature lover who studied at Alma College and the University of Quebec at Chicoutimi.

A spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada said consular services are being provided to the victim's family, and consular officials "are in contact with local authorities to gather additional information."

Located on the Caribbean Sea, Cancun is known for its resorts and nightlife.