BY: Nick Fulton
Published 31 minutes ago
A gay couple from Chicago, Zafar Padamsee Mawani and Guillermo Jaffet Hidalgo Ortiz, have been found dead outside of Mexico City. The two moved to Mexico City in October of last year and have been missing since May 20th of this year. Their bodies were located on June 17 in a wooded area on the outskirts of Mexico City.
Local authorities had been searching for the couple after making several arrests related to the case. Suspects informed authorities where to find the bodies, leading local prosecutors to uncover four bodies near La Marquesa National Park, two of which were Mawani and Ortiz.
All the Names Not Found
Unfortunately, the couple’s case is not unique in Mexico. More than 135,000 people are missing across Mexico related to criminal violence; 977 people were reported missing during May alone. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has pledged to address these missing people cases. About 22,000 missing people were found alive last year, while homicides have also dropped nearly 40% under President Sheinbaum’s tenure.
Hate crimes against LGBTQIA+ in Mexico remain on the rise. Local organizations have tracked hundreds of murders of LGBTQIA+ people over the past several years, with trans people being especially vulnerable to violence across the country.
Remembering What We Lost
In a statement shared with PEOPLE, Mawani’s family expressed their love and mourning.
“Zafar was authentic in a way that made others feel more grounded and seen…He believed in abundance when it came to building genuine connections and creating spaces where people could flourish,” the statement read.
GLAAD also released a statement paying tribute to the couple’s lives.
“Our hearts are with everyone who loved Guillermo Ortiz and Zafar Mawani, a Chicago couple who were found killed in Mexico after they were missing for several weeks. May Guillermo and Zafar rest in peace,” GLAAD wrote in an Instagram post.
The family of the couple has started a GoFundMe, where people can donate to a memorial bench to be placed near their relatives in Oak Park, IL.
