Four Bodies Found on Mexico City Outskirts During Search for Missing Chicago Couple

Mexican authorities were working Friday to identify four bodies discovered on the outskirts of Mexico City, as part of the ongoing search for a married couple who vanished in May while splitting their time between Chicago and Mexico.

An official from the State of Mexico prosecutor’s office, speaking on condition of anonymity due to lack of authorization for public comments, stated that his team found the bodies after assisting capital investigators with their search.

Mexico City prosecutors had been investigating the May disappearance of Zafar Padamese Mawani and Guillermo Jafett Hidalgo Ortiz in the southern part of the capital and had already made several arrests in connection with the case.

According to Cate Taylor, a spokesperson for Mawani’s family, the couple resided in both Chicago and Mexico City. NBC News Chicago reported in late May that they were in Mexico to care for Mawani’s mother, and also noted unusual activity in their bank accounts.

Federal missing-person records indicate Mawani, 56, is a U.S. citizen. The Mexico City authorities’ bulletin for Hidalgo Ortiz, also 56, does not specify his nationality but confirms he was with Mawani when they vanished south of Mexico City, approximately 50 kilometers (31 miles) east of La Marquesa National Park.

Mexico City prosecutors have not disclosed further details about the case. The U.S. Embassy in Mexico confirmed awareness of the situation in a brief statement to the Associated Press but provided no additional information. Taylor noted that family representatives have been in Mexico City collaborating with authorities.

Federal data shows over 135,000 people are currently missing in Mexico due to criminal violence, a figure that continues to rise despite a significant decline in homicides since President Claudia Sheinbaum assumed office in 2024.

Mexico’s official missing persons registry recorded 977 new cases in May alone.

Recently, family advocacy groups have staged protests amid Mexico’s role as a co-host of the FIFA World Cup, calling for increased attention and resources for missing persons searches — efforts typically led by relatives themselves. A common grievance among protesters is that authorities prioritize cases involving foreign nationals.

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