On October 10, authorities processed a homicide scene in the San José Las Mesitas canton, Chalatenango, where they found the half-buried body of a 76-year-old woman.
The victim had been reported missing on October 8, triggering an intense search that culminated in a tragic discovery and the beginning of a criminal investigation that points to her own family.
According to police reports, the conflict that led to the murder originated in a dispute over the ownership of a piece of land, which the suspects allegedly demanded that the victim give them over.
The authorities confirmed that the detainees are close relatives of the woman: Sonia Elizabeth Ibáñez de Mejía, daughter of the victim; José Alexander Mejía Ibáñez and a minor, both grandchildren.
Investigations indicate that, after a violent argument on the ground, the accused acted together to take the woman’s life, resorting to methods that sought to hide the crime. The PNC detailed that the scene was discovered after an operation in the area, where agents located the partially buried body, which evidenced an attempted cover-up.
The three defendants were arrested and face charges of aggravated homicide, feminicide and disappearance of persons, crimes that in El Salvador carry severe penalties. Authorities have reiterated their commitment to carrying out a thorough investigation and applying the full force of the law.
This case highlights the complexities that can arise in family disputes over material assets and the severity of gender violence, this being one of the main lines of action within the framework of the #TerritorialControlPlan.