Missing Chicago Couple Found Dead Among Bodies Discovered Near Mexico City

A Chicago mates who went missing successful Mexico were among respective bodies discovered past week connected nan outskirts of Mexico City, their family confirmed Wednesday.

U.S. national Zafar Padamsee Mawani and his partner, Guillermo Jafett Hidalgo Ortiz, vanished successful May southbound of nan Mexican capital. The mates had moved from Chicago to Mexico City together. Authorities launched a hunt and made respective arrests successful relationship pinch nan case.

Investigators later uncovered 4 unidentified bodies successful a mountainous area aft detainees allegedly directed them to nan site.

On Wednesday, Mawani’s family said Mexican authorities had confirmed nan deaths of nan mates and paid tribute to them successful a statement.

“We are grateful beyond words to everyone who tried to thief bring Zafar location to america – investigators connected nan ground, our halfway strategy and support team, authorities successful some countries, generous unpaid organizations, arsenic good arsenic friends and loved ones who stepped guardant to thief without being asked,” nan family wrote successful a statement.

Mawani and Hidalgo Ortiz lived successful Chicago and Mexico City, according to Cate Taylor, a spokesperson for Mawani’s family. NBC News Chicago reported successful precocious May that nan men were spending clip successful Mexico to attraction for Mawani’s mother. The outlet besides reported different withdrawals from nan couple’s slope accounts.

According to nan national government’s charismatic missing-person bulletin, Mawani was 56 and a U.S. citizen. The bulletin for Hidalgo Ortiz, issued by Mexico City authorities, states that he was besides 56. It does not specify his nationality, but notes that he was pinch Mawani erstwhile they vanished southbound of Mexico City, astir 50 kilometers (31 miles) eastbound of nan mountains of La Marquesa National Park.

More than 135,000 group are missing successful Mexico arsenic a merchandise of criminal violence, according to nan astir caller national data. The number missing continues to climb moreover arsenic homicide figures person sharply dropped since President Claudia Sheinbaum took agency successful 2024.

A full of 977 group were reported missing successful Mexico during nan period of May, according to nan country’s charismatic missing persons registry.

In caller days, relatives’ groups person staged protests while Mexico serves arsenic a co-host of nan FIFA World Cup. They are demanding greater attraction to nan rumor and much resources for searches, which are mostly led by family members themselves. One of their recurring complaints is that authorities enactment much quickly erstwhile nan missing group are foreigners.