The body of Makala Pendley, 30, was found naked on a dirt road in the community of Elambó Bajo, in the municipality of Zinacantán, in the Mexican state of Chiapas. Identification by the family took place on Tuesday, June 9th. The woman was at least six months pregnant.
Pendley had disappeared in February along with her seven children. The case mobilized authorities in Indianapolis, in the United States, and gained international attention because it involved a family trip to Mexico.
Local prosecutors determined the death was caused by traumatic brain injury and blunt force trauma. The body remained at the site for eight to 12 hours before being discovered on the morning of June 8. The family reported that she was a victim of rape and beating.
Pendley’s sister, Maurica Lambert, described the moment of confirmation as devastating. “It was the worst day of my life… I feel like a part of me died,” she said.
The seven children, Nikola, Joseph, Aubrielle, Orion, Earthum, Polaris and Azrael, were located safely in Mexico. Authorities arrested the children’s father, Joseph Jude Butler Jr., on Tuesday afternoon.
He was reported missing by Indianapolis police on February 23. Pendley was described by relatives as a devoted mother who prioritized her children.
Family seeks to repatriate body
The family started a campaign to raise funds and bring Makala’s body back to the United States for wake and burial. Lambert highlighted the financial difficulties faced by the group after the tragedy.
Case context
Pendley and the children had been in Mexico since before they were reported missing in the US. Reports indicate that the woman had previously reported the abduction of her children in another Mexican state. The case is now being investigated as a femicide by authorities in Chiapas.
The location of the minors and the father’s arrest represent a partial outcome for the family, which is still dealing with grief and the bureaucratic procedures for the return of the bodies and children.
