After living under a cloud of suspicion for the brutal slaying of two Canadian tourists in Mexico, two women from Thunder Bay, Ont. may be free and clear.

According to a report in The Globe and Mail, investigators in Mexico no longer suspect Cheryl Everall and Kimberley Kim played a role in the killings.

The women were staying on the same floor at the hotel where Domenico and Annunziata Ianiero were murdered.

Mexican investigators said a trail of blood was found leading from the murder scene to the Everall and Kim's room. The women vehemently denied having anything to do with the double killing.

The Globe and Mail quotes sources saying Mexican police are now inclined to believe the Ianieros knew their attackers. The newspaper says investigators are turning their attention to friends and relatives who were with the slain couple.

The Ianieros and 16 friends and family members were staying at the luxury Barcelo Maya Beach Resort for the wedding of one of the Ianiero's twin daughters.

The celebration was cut short on Feb. 20 when the victims were found with their throats slashed in their hotel room.

The investigation by Mexican authorities generated concerns in both nations about corruption, incompetence and a rush to judgment by suspecting Everall and Kim.

Meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay on Friday, Mexico's foreign secretary promised a "clear and thorough" investigation of the murders.

Luis Ernesto Derbez Bautista said the Mexican government would allow Canadian police to participate in the investigation.

"I would like to send the message clear to everyone, that we will be working together and the information will be there so that people will know that this investigation took place transparently, openly, and in the most professional way possible," Derbez said Friday.

Meanwhile, Mexican authorities are probing a possible link to organized crime, saying that Canadian authorities have indicated one of the victims may have had links to "illicit activities."

"There have been ... statements by the (Royal) Canadian Mounted Police indicating that the slain person had ties with illicit activities," said Bello Melchor Rodriguez y Carrillo, attorney general for the state of Quintana Roo.

He did not elaborate on the type of illicit activities, nor did he say whether the organized crime elements stemmed from Canada or Mexico.

The RCMP declined comment on the attorney general's claims.

"I can't comment on this either way," said Const. Nathalie Deschenes. "Privacy laws prevent us from talking about personal information."

The Ianiero family has denied any link to illegal activities or organized crime.

With files from The Canadian Press