Tech professor murdered in quiet Mérida neighborhood

"Prosecutor concealed crime," alleges newspaper

*Updated content*
Mérida, Yucatán --
A local professor who worked at the Mérida campus of Mexico's National College of Technical Education (CONALEP) (Colegio Nacional de Educación Profesional Técnica) was found murdered at his mid-town residence over the weekend.

The body of Juan Avelino Mena Moguel, 52, was discovered by family members last Saturday evening (Aug. 11) in his Miguel Alemán home, at the corner of Calle 29-A x Calle 26. His remains were in an advanced state of decomposition. News sources say puncture wounds were visible on the body.

A Yucatán news service which reported on the case this morning accused the state prosecutor's office of "concealing the crime" for days, although it did not suggest a motive. The same source said that investigators are working on the assumption that the murder was a "crime of passion," common vernacular here for a sex related offense. Police purportedly have solid clues in the case.

Mena Moguel's colleagues at CONALEP were said to be stunned by the news of his violent death. He lived alone, and is survived by his father and three brothers.

In 2011 the Yucatán state government reported that the state's annual homicide rate was a trivial 1.7 per 100,000 residents. Murder is rare in this city, and rarer still in Colonia Miguel Alemán, a settled neighborhood populated by many who have occupied the same homes for decades. Crime in Alemán is uncommon, and violent offenses are seldom reported in the area.

The home where Mena Moguel was murdered is in a prominent location. A small convenience store is immediately adjacent, and a daycare facility is almost directly across the street.

Aug. 15 - The professor's vehicle, presumably stolen by the killer, has been found. Police confirm his murder was sex related, given his "unusual habits," a news source reports. Investigators believe Mena Moguel was stabbed to death on or about Aug. 8. Some of his present and past students at CONALEP are being questioned, where Mena Moguel taught for more than 15 years.

Mérida's main daily newspaper, Diario de Yucatán, seems to be studiously ignoring the case. That raises all kinds of interesting questions.

Aug. 17 - Gay prostitute charged in murder of Mérida professor