Missing couple among victims found dead in mass grave weeks after vanishing
The bodies of a Chicago couple who went missing on May 20 have been found in a mass grave near Mexico City, alongside two other victims.
Zafar Mawani and Guillermo Ortiz disappeared after going to buy a chairlift for Mawani’s mother, who suffered with Alzheimer's diswase, in Mexico City, and numerous arrests have now been made following the discovery of their bodies on June 17.
The sellers allegedly asked the couple, both 56, to come to Mawani’s mother’s home, where they were installing the chairlift, to complete the purchase.
But before losing contact, the pair had sent their real-time location to a friend.
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Authorities found a mass grave of four people in a wooded area at a property in La Marquesa, on the outskirts of Mexico City, and a human limb was reportedly also found nearby.
Mawani’s family identified the couple as two of the victims on Wednesday (June 24), and a spokesperson for the family has now released a statement to ABC7.
Following the heartbreaking discovery, they said: "We are aware of reports circulating regarding Zafar and Guillermo.
"We are in direct contact with authorities to confirm accurate information. We ask for patience and privacy for the family during this time."
The other victims are believed to be a married couple, aged 56 and 38, but have not been publicly identified at this time.
ABC7 also spoke to Ortiz's niece, who said the married couple had just moved from Chicago to Mexico in October 2025.
Speaking with CBS, a friend of the couple, Maggie Reynoso, said: "He wanted to show his husband how beautiful Mexico is. So they were going everywhere, dressing very glamourous, even though we told them to be safe.
"Ortiz doesn't think that anybody would do any harm, somebody who did this to him doesn't have a heart."
She added: "I still can't believe that it's real."
Police reported that five people in connection with the discovery of the four bodies have been arrested, including former officer, Yesenia V., who is the alleged leader of a kidnapping and robbery gang.
The four other suspects were allegedly found carrying ammunition, narcotics and a black suitcase.
A protest was held outside the opening of the World Cup earlier this month, as relatives of more than 130,000 missing people in Mexico accused the government of failing to do enough to address the crisis.
Mia Williams