Free Republic

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico- The body of a kidnapped 7-year-old girl has been found in a desert area near this border city, police said. The secretary-general of the state government, Fernando Rodriguez, told reporters late Sunday that the body of Airis Estrella Rodriguez Pando was discovered shortly after midnight Sunday morning at a wood and cardboard shack about 20 miles south of Ciudad Juarez. Juarez is across the border from El Paso, Texas. Her parents had reported her missing on May 2. State officials said evidence indicated the girl had been sexually molested and killed by blows to the head. She...

Medical records from Mexico keep kidnapping case stalled — Illegible medical records from Mexico prompted three men accused of a botched and deadly kidnapping to back out of Friday morning plea agreement. A trial for Romeo Rosales, Enrique Rodriguez and Santos Reyes has remained stalled for the past three months while both sides waited for Mexican medical records. According to court records, the three men and a fourth suspect, Tracey Camero, 29, are charged with the Aug. 24, 2004 murder during a botched kidnapping of Matamoros resident Amancio Piñales Garcia. A member of the group allegedly shot Piñales in the...