U.S. citizen found murdered in Mérida

Robbery the likely motive in case which local authorities call "unprecedented"

*Updated content*
Mérida, Yucatán --
A U.S. national was found murdered here today, local law enforcement agencies report. The victim has been identified as Robert Leon Wickard, 67, originally from Pennsylvania. He owned a home in the San Sebastian neighborhood of Mérida, which is southwest of the city's main plaza.

Four men, at least one from Veracruz, are in custody. One is described in a local press account as a transvestite. Robbery was the apparent motive, say investigators.

Authorities gave this account: About 4:00 a.m. today police on routine patrol happened by the residence and saw three men carrying out a television set. They were arguing over various items of personal property, and upon inquiry told officers they were preparing to pawn some things. The officers became suspicious and entered the house. They noticed a strong odor of decay, dried blood stains, freshly turned soil and concrete mix remnants.

Wicard's body was found buried in a shallow grave in an interior garden of the residence, wrapped in a blanket. He had been dead at least 15 days, according to forensic reports. The men had been living in the house since the murder, slowly removing and selling his property. Police are scouring the two story home to determine if there are more victims. Reporters on the scene said the stench of death was overpowering, even on the street. Yet neighbors had not reported anything amiss to Mérida's municipal preventivos.

A fourth suspect was arrested at a downtown hotel several hours later, after the other men identified him. Police say he is from Veracruz, on Mexico's eastern Gulf coast. Veracruz has become a hotbed of extreme narco violence in recent years. Two weeks ago several men with Veracruz ties were arrested here in an elaborate kidnapping for ransom scheme. Their target was a Veracruz businessman who was preparing to open a jewelry store at a Mérida mall. He and another victim were rescued by police. Those Veracruz suspects are in jail awaiting legal proceedings.

Neighbors described Wicard as a quiet man who kept to himself. He lived part time in Mérida and part time in the United States. Police have not indicated whether he knew his assailants, or if he freely admitted them to the house, where he had reportedly lived about a year. A random internet search did not disclose particulars on Wicard.

There goes the neighborhood . . .
Mérida and all of the Yucatán peninsula are home to a substantial community of U.S. and Canadian nationals, some of whom are full time residents and others so-called snowbirds. Many foreigners reside in the city's historic central district, where real estate prices have skyrocketed in recent years due to the influx of expatriates and retiring baby boomers. But Mexico's endless national security problems coupled with rapidly escalating narco violence in neighboring Quintana Roo state are a cause for concern by more than a few here, who fear that land values in this very pricey "City of Peace" may not be sustainable.

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