TL;DR

  • Authorities identified Zafar Mawani and Guillermo Hidalgo Ortiz among four bodies found in a mass grave near Mexico City.
  • The couple had been missing since 20 May and were last seen in the Isidro Fabela neighbourhood.
  • The case has intensified attention on Mexico’s wider missing persons crisis.

Mexican authorities have confirmed that Zafar Mawani and Guillermo Hidalgo Ortiz, a missing gay couple from the US, were among four people found dead in a mass grave near Mexico City.

The pair were identified on 25 June after their bodies were discovered on 17 June in La Marquesa National Park, about 20 miles south-west of the capital, according to Associated Press.

Mawani and Hidalgo were reported missing on 20 May and were last seen in Mexico City’s Isidro Fabela neighbourhood.

Authorities have not said whether the couple were singled out because of their sexual orientation.

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Reports said the two had travelled to Mexico City to care for Mawani’s sick mother. NBC Chicago reported that investigators also found “unusual withdrawals from the couple’s bank accounts” after they disappeared.

In a statement, Mawani’s family said: “We are grateful beyond words to everyone who tried to help bring Zafar home to us – investigators on the ground, our core strategy and support team, authorities in both countries, generous volunteer organisations, as well as friends and loved ones who stepped forward to help without being asked.”

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Tributes have since been posted on the couple’s social media pages, including one message that read: “Rest in peace my beautiful friend. I hope you’re both together.”

Mexican media reports have said five people have been arrested in connection with the couple’s murder, including a female former police officer alleged to have led a kidnapping and robbery gang.

The case has also renewed attention on Mexico’s missing persons crisis. More than 135,000 people are currently thought to be missing in the country, and 977 were reported to have disappeared in May.

What is known about the case

  • The bodies were found on 17 June in La Marquesa National Park.
  • Mexican authorities confirmed Mawani and Hidalgo among the dead on 25 June.
  • The couple disappeared on 20 May and were last seen in Mexico City’s Isidro Fabela neighbourhood.
  • It remains unclear whether they were targeted because of their sexual orientation.

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Isabella Martinez
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Isabella Martinez

Isabella Martinez, known as "Izzy" to her readers, is a prominent journalist covering legal and criminal justice issues, with a focus on their impact on the LGBTQ community. A graduate of Harvard Law School who transiti…

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