HER LAST TEXT: The Haunting Final Message Sent by Millionaire CEO Moments Before Horror Nicaragua Crash That Killed Her and Left Son, 11, Fighting for Life”
Top CEO killed and son, 11, injured in horror crash on dream family holiday as tributes paid to ‘brilliant’ mother
A high-powered American CEO was killed in a horrific tourist transport crash in Nicaragua while vacationing with her husband and their three young children — one of whom suffered critical injuries.
Kasey Grelle, 41, who co-founded the St. Louis-based marketing consulting firm Aux Insights, was killed March 23 when an open-air tourist transport truck carrying her family and other passengers crashed inside the Rancho Santana resort in Tola, Nicaragua, heartbroken relatives said.
Her 11-year-old son Julian was critically injured and airlifted to a St. Louis hospital, according to a family fundraiser that was posted on GoFundMe.
He suffered head trauma, skull fractures and spine fractures as well as a collapsed lung, according to the GoFundMe page.
Grelle is survived by her husband, Dave, and their three young children — Julian, 11; Kit, 9; and Des, 6.
“We are devastated to announce the tragic passing of my sister, Kasey Grelle,” Grelle’s brother, Andy Joyce, wrote on Facebook in an April 1 post.
“Kasey was on a family vacation in Nicaragua and on a tour put on by the resort she was staying at with her kids, Kit and Julian, when the driver lost control and rolled the vehicle, killing Kasey and severely injuring Julian.”
Joyce remembered his sister as “one of the most brilliant, driven and selfless people I have ever met and she was relentless in everything she did, especially when it came to helping her people.”
“We are heartbroken for David Grelle, Julian, Kit and Des as well as everyone else who knew and loved Kasey.”
A GoFundMe crowdfunding effort launched to benefit the children has raised more than $302,000 as of Saturday — well past the initial $250,000 goal.
More than 20 people, including children, were injured when the tourist transport truck, carrying roughly 28 foreign passengers, lost control while descending a hill inside the resort complex, according to Nicaraguan outlet TN8.
The open-air vehicle flipped after rolling back, local reports said.
The victims were treated at the scene by resort staff and emergency responders before being rushed to the Hospital Gaspar García Laviana in Rivas, the report said.
Grelle died while being transported to the hospital after suffering catastrophic injuries, including severe head trauma, TN8 reported. She reportedly suffered a skull fracture.
Nicaragua’s National Police are still investigating the circumstances of the crash, according to TN8.
Grelle had been the family’s primary provider after her husband was seriously injured in a previous accident, according to the GoFundMe fundraiser.
She co-founded Aux Insights, a St. Louis-based strategic marketing consulting firm that works with private equity firms to drive revenue growth and improve company performance.
The firm positions itself as an outsourced chief marketing office for investors, helping portfolio companies translate marketing efforts into measurable financial results, including revenue and EBITDA growth.
In a 2025 podcast interview, Grelle said the firm had surpassed $10 million in annual revenue in under two years and was profitable from the outset without outside funding.
Before launching Aux Insights, Grelle worked in venture capital and corporate dealmaking, including a stint as CEO of Gateway Media, where she helped restructure the business and pay down $40 million in debt before its sale.
She began her career as a TV news reporter before pivoting into finance and entrepreneurship after earning an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis.
