An American missing since February was found dead in southern Mexico. Authorities are investigating the case as a possible femicide. Makala Pendley, 30, was located on Monday near the city of Zinacantán, in the state of Chiapas, with head injuries. The identification was confirmed by the family on Tuesday, who also reported that the victim was pregnant.
According to the Chiapas prosecutor, Jorge Luis Llaven Abarca, the body had blunt injuries to the head. The cause of death was determined to be traumatic brain injury. In a press conference broadcast live, the prosecutor stated that investigators believe the victim had been dead for between 8 and 12 hours before he was found.
The family reported that Pendley was located naked in a ditch. Mexican authorities are searching for one or more suspects and are working under a policy of “zero tolerance for feminicide violence.”
Pendley’s seven children were also found in Mexico and are safe. They were placed in the custody of local authorities. The woman was reported missing in February by a social worker with the Indiana Department of Children’s Services. Indianapolis police later reported that Pendley and the children had been located in Mexico last month, formally ending their missing person status.
Location of body and cause of death
Makala Pendley’s body was found on Monday near Zinacantán. According to prosecutor Jorge Luis Llaven Abarca, she had head injuries and her death was caused by traumatic brain injury.
Children safely located
The American woman’s seven children were found in Mexico. The children are in the custody of local authorities and are safe.
Father’s arrest and couple’s history
A family member said that Joseph Jude Butler Jr., the children’s father, was detained by Mexican police. The victim’s sister, Maurica Lambert, reported that the couple had had a “toxic and intermittent” relationship since they were teenagers. Court records show the two were involved in disputes over paternity and child custody.
Despite the arrest, Lambert expressed surprise. She told FOX59: — I thought it was someone else. I still think it’s someone else. It would never have crossed my mind that it could be him. I never had that kind of feeling from him.
The victim’s cousin, Jami Dowdy, said the family doesn’t know how Pendley got to Mexico and that they had been looking for her for months. Lambert described her sister as a devoted mother.
