OBITUARY

                          Jeremy Kryt

October 27, 1974 – October 28, 2025

Journalist, writer, war correspondent, and defender of human rights.

"The secret of wisdom, power, and knowledge is humility."

— Ernest Hemingway

Jeremy Albert Kryt—journalist, writer, and tireless chronicler of conflict and human struggle—passed away suddenly on October 28, 2025, at the age of 51. Although he spent much of his life reporting from places marked by violence and danger, his death occurred far from those battlefields. His passing leaves a profound void in the lives of his family, friends, colleagues, and the communities whose stories he devoted his life to telling.

Jeremy was born on October 27, 1974. He was the son of Cinthya Ford and Gary Kryt, and the grandson of Marvin L. Ford and Elnora Agnes Ford. After the death of his mother when he was seven years old, Jeremy was raised in Munster, Indiana, by his maternal grandparents—whom he lovingly called *Oma* and *Opa*—together with his uncle Albert Anneser.

Both men became father figures in Jeremy’s life. His grandfather, Opa, was a profound source of inspiration who dedicated himself to Jeremy’s intellectual upbringing. He nurtured a deep love of books and knowledge, reading with him often and encouraging the curiosity that would later define Jeremy’s work as a journalist and writer.

His uncle Albert brought warmth, enthusiasm, and a spirit of adventure to his childhood, sharing with him his love of stories, cinema, and imagination.

In a striking turn of history, both Opa and Albert had been war veterans in their respective countries—Opa in the United States and Albert in Germany—nations that had once been enemies. Yet in their family those divisions gave way to friendship and devotion, and together they raised Jeremy with love and guidance.

Jeremy graduated from the Indiana University School of Journalism and was later selected among thousands of applicants to attend the renowned Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where he earned a master’s degree in creative writing.

Throughout his career, Jeremy reported on the war on drugs, armed conflict, and human rights issues across Mexico, Central America, Colombia, and the United States. His work appeared in outlets such as The Daily Beast, Earth Island Journal, In These Times, AlterNet, and The Narco News Bulletin, among others.

Jeremy was not a journalist who worked from behind a desk. He believed that truth could only be understood by witnessing events firsthand. For that reason he repeatedly traveled into territories considered among the most dangerous in the Americas.

In Mexico he spent years reporting from so-called “red zones,” regions dominated by cartel violence where few journalists dared to enter. There he sought to understand the drug war from every perspective. He interviewed victims, activists, community leaders, authorities, and even figures connected to organized crime, believing that honest journalism requires listening to all sides of a conflict.

During these years he faced extreme situations—crossfire, tear gas, kidnappings, and constant danger. Yet Jeremy never carried a weapon. His only protection was his press credential, his notebook, and his unwavering commitment to telling the truth.

He also reported extensively in Colombia, covering conflicts involving guerrilla groups such as the FARC and ELN, the military, social movements, and Indigenous communities defending their lands and rights.

His investigations took him across multiple countries. He reported on the coup in Honduras, documented the massive migration of Venezuelans fleeing economic collapse, and investigated the disappearance of two Dutch travelers in Panama—an investigation that later became the documentary series Lost in Panama. He also investigated the disappearance of a young woman in Africa, publishing his findings in The Daily Beast.

Jeremy believed journalism carried a deep human responsibility. He lived among the communities he reported on—sleeping in hammocks in the jungle, on simple floors or mats, sharing humble meals, and learning from Indigenous cultures with genuine respect and curiosity.

Those who knew him often described him as a “walking library.” He read every day and possessed an extraordinary memory for literature, history, and poetry.

He loved music, art, theater, and film. He exercised regularly and enjoyed sports such as boxing and basketball. He played guitar and sang, and he lived as a vegetarian out of respect for animals.

The adventurous heroes of the stories and films he admired as a child—especially those from *MASH* and Indiana Jones—seemed to foreshadow the life he would eventually live. In many ways, Jeremy became one of the very characters he admired: a witness to history who ventured where few others would go in search of truth.

In that search he was not alone. For more than thirteen years he shared his life with his wife, Elizabeth Muñoz, who was not only his partner but also his collaborator and steadfast companion in many of his investigations and travels across Latin America.

Jeremy also completed a novel set in Mexico titled *Flower Wars*, based on real experiences lived alongside his wife. Written in English, his native language, it was the work he treasured most. He entrusted its final revision and future publication to Elizabeth Muñoz.

He was also a devoted father figure to his daughters of the heart, Dana Katherine Gómez Muñoz and Angely Nicol López, whom he loved and raised as his own.

Jeremy is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Muñoz; his father, Gary Kryt; his siblings Julien Kryt, Lucas Kryt, and Joel Hruska; his daughters of the heart, Dana Katherine Gómez Muñoz and Angely Nicol López; and extended family, colleagues, and friends across many countries.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Cinthya Ford, his grandparents, Marvin and Elnora Ford; and his uncle, Albert Anneser.

Jeremy Kryt was not an ordinary man. He was a journalist of rare courage, a writer of conviction, and a witness to realities many preferred not to see.

His voice lives on in every story he wrote and in every life he touched.

Rest in peace, Jeremy.

Friends, readers, and colleagues are invited to share memories and condolences through this memorial page.

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