The remains of a priest who had gone missing were discovered wrapped in plastic and secured to a chair in a canal.
Reverend Ernesto Baltazar Hernández Vilchis, aged 40, disappeared mysteriously in Tultepec, located just north of Mexico City, on October 27. His body was located in a drainage canal near the Felipe Ángeles International Airport on Wednesday.
Search and rescue teams conducted extensive searches in the area where the remains were found, although they were significantly decomposed. Following the retrieval of the remains from the canal, forensic experts positively identified them as belonging to Rev. Vilchis.
According to Mexican network Telediario, the body was encased in black bags and then fastened to an armchair before getting stuck in a small mound of earth in the drainage canal.
Rev. Vilchis had been recently assigned to the Tultepec region and was last seen in the town of Ampliación La Piedad. The Diocese overseeing his assignment to the area alerted authorities when he went missing.
The priest had previously served in various churches before his posting in Tultepec. Law enforcement agencies are conducting an inquiry into his death and have pledged to apprehend those accountable.
Although the culprits remain unidentified, priests in Mexico have been targeted by criminal groups in the past. Just last month, another priest’s body was discovered in the mountains of Guerrero, a southern state.
The Catholic Multimedia Centre of the church, which monitors attacks on priests, reported that 10 priests were killed in Mexico between 2019 and 2024. Incidents of violence against public figures are prevalent in Mexico.
Recently, Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo, aged 40, was fatally shot by two armed individuals while celebrating the Day of the Dead with the public. Known for his strong stance against cartels, Mayor Manzo had made controversial remarks advocating for forceful measures against criminal organizations in the avocado-producing region.
President Sheinbaum strongly condemned the assassination, expressing condolences to Mayor Manzo’s family, loved ones, and the people of Uruapan for the tragic loss.