Authorities Investigating if Missing American Found in Cemetery Was Tortured, Killed in U.S. or Mexico
Reyna Hernandez was found dead days after friends reported her missing
Police in Washington State say they are looking into whether a missing woman found dead in Mexico was killed on U.S. soil.
Reyna Hernandez, 54, was found dead in a cemetery in Mexicali, Mexico, days after she was last seen on Feb. 26 in Renton, Wash., authorities said Tuesday.
A 61-year-old Renton resident has been identified as a suspect and detained in Mexico on unrelated charges, the Renton Police Department said in Tuesday’s statement.
Hernandez was reported missing on Feb. 28 by friends when she did not return home, police said at the time, adding that foul play was suspected.
On March 8, Renton police received information about an “unidentified body” found in Mexicali and suspected it might be that of Hernandez, according to Tuesday’s statement.
Over the weekend, police worked with Mexican authorities and were able to determine that the body belonged to Hernandez.
She was found with her hands and feet bound at the cemetery with signs of torture, authorities said, according to Fox 13. She had been wrapped in a blanket, authorities said.
Related: Missing American Found Tortured to Death in Mexico Cemetery: 'The Worst Possible Outcome'
Police say they are “working closely” with Mexicali authorities and U.S. Federal officials to determine further details about the nature, time and place of Hernandez’s killing.
If they learn the homicide took place on U.S. soil, police will seek extradition for the suspect to be charged in the relevant jurisdiction, police say.
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Authorities have released limited details surrounding the circumstances of Hernandez’s discovery as well as the nature of her disappearance.
They did not disclose the nature of the “unrelated charges” the suspect is facing in Mexico.
Investigators say this was a “domestic violence” crime, but did not disclose how, or if, the suspect and Reyna were related.
It’s not immediately clear if either Hernandez or the suspect has any ties to Mexicali or Mexico.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help bring Hernandez’s body back to the U.S.
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