to a life full of fun.

A sailing and skiing enthusiast, she was on holiday in Bermuda, staying with friends.

Now her life has been cut tragically short by a brutal killer and the lives of those who knew and loved her have been shattered.

Her parents, who are separated, are due to arrive in Bermuda today -- when they will try and come to terms with the death of their daughter.

Rebecca Middleton loved to sail and ski and was in the second week of a six-week Bermuda vacation when Police discovered her lifeless body on Ferry Road in St. George's.

The 17-year-old was the youngest of three children and attended the Centennial Secondary School in Northern Belleville, Ontario, where she had just completed Grade 11.

School Vice-Principal Casey Soden said he remembered "Becky'' as a very bright person who always had a cheerful personality and a smile on her face.

"As far as the school is concerned our hearts go out to Becky's family and friends. It's a senseless act.'' It was a second tragedy for the small town of Belleville which has a population of just 37,000.

Only three days ago it held a memorial for 18-year-old Mark Fyke who was killed in a bungled robbery in Daytona Beach, Florida in March. The teenager, who attended the Catholic-run Nicholson College, was speaking to his mother on a pay phone when a man came up shot him in the head.

Yesterday messages of condolences and offers of help were being sent to Ms Middleton's family and friends.

Tourism Minister David Dodwell said he had spoken to Ms Middleton's father and left a message on an answering service for her mother.

"As the Minister of Tourism and a representative of the Government I would like to express our deepest condolences,'' he said.

"Bermuda is shocked and devastated and we will offer the family any assistance that we can provide.'' Premier David Saul also offered his sympathy to the family and appealed to Bermudians to help find the killer.

He said:"It's absolutely shocking and tragic. As the parent of a young university student daughter myself, I feel for her parents and her family.

"It's such a heinous and brutal crime -- you don't expect to find this sort of thing in Bermuda. I hope the Police make an arrest as quickly as possible.'' `A NORMAL, AVERAGE TEENAGER -- Rebecca (Becky) Mddleton, shown here in her yearbook photo, was found dead on Ferry Road yesterday. Police are treating her death as a murder.