Mérida, Yucatán –
For the second time in six months, a member of the city’s American expatriate community has died in a violent assault. Read the MGRR/Yucatan Times story here.
Nov. 14 - Two of Mérida's news services carried their first reports on the case today, three days after the murder occurred. The following is a summary of key points:
The crime displayed tintes pasionales - a Spanish euphemism for a violent event with sexual or romantic overtones. A quote from one report: "Las primeras líneas de investigación señalan que el crimen está relacionado con gente de la comunidad gay, aunque también se investiga el robo como posible móvil de este asesinato." Translation: "The preliminary investigation indicates the crime was connected to persons in the gay community, although robbery is also being investigated as a possible motive for the murder."
A second news story by the city's leading daily, Diario de Yucatán, reported that nothing of value was taken from victim Sam Woodruff's home after he was attacked. Discounting robbery as the probable motive, the paper suggested the murder may have been committed by a male prostitute. Citing the prosecutor's office and the medical examiner's post-mortem findings as sources, the Diario story said Woodruff was HIV positive. All peninsular press sources which have reported on the case, including several smaller publications which reprint local news accounts, concur that this was a sex-related murder, not a burglary, robbery or other common crime. That's clearly what prosecutors believe, too.
The 63 year old victim had lived in Mérida for a decade. The state prosecutor is reportedly tight lipped about the investigation. No one has been arrested. Neighbors heard screams from the Colonia Itzimna crime scene Sunday night and ran to the victim's aid, summoning police and an ambulance. Woodruff was stabbed five times. A knife wound to his heart proved fatal. American consular officials in Mérida are working with Mexican authorities to arrange for the repatriation of Woodruff's remains to the U.S.
Nov. 15 - Woodruff regularly had contact with male prostitutes, reported the Sipse.com news service today. The Yucatán state prosecutor is focusing on the "crime of passion" theory. This was the ninth gay related homicide in Mérida in 2012, most of which were carried out by prostitutes who attacked their clients. Robert Lee Wickard (stories below) had been the only American victim of gay violence until now, but Sam Woodruff may soon be added to the list of those who ended up paying a Mérida "sex servant" much more than the agreed upon price.
Feb. 15 - American expatriate murdered in Mérida had sex with 17 year old boy just before his death
Feb. 7 - Suspect arrested in Mérida murder of American expatriate
Jan. 18, 2013 - "Violence on Yucatán soil" - against foreigners
Dec. 30 - Six weeks after murder of American in Mérida, no arrests, no suspects, no developments
Robert Lee Wickard case
Suspects in murder of Mérida American expat indicted and ordered to stand trial
Robert Wickard suspects held for 30 days
Four suspects in murder of U.S. citizen set to be arraigned
Gay readers share candid thoughts on gay sex tourism in Mérida
Opinion: A revolting way to die – and to live
American citizen murdered in Mérida died at hands of gay sex partners
U.S. citizen found murdered in Mérida
Gay homicide in Mérida
Mérida records yet another gay homicide, the seventh in 12 months
Gay prostitute charged in murder of Mérida professor
Tech professor murdered in quiet Mérida neighborhood
Mérida posts 3rd gay prostitution murder
Man arrested in Mérida homicide was sex servant for hire, police say
Local murder victim identified
Yucatán: Desarraigan a homicidas de homosexuales
Confirman homicidio en predio del fraccionamiento Montejo
Nov. 2 - "Wave of prostitution" hits Yucatán, with high tech girls
Interesting. Will be waiting to see the motive behind this one!
ReplyDeleteAuthorities have reportedly found a "hit" list of pedophiiles-sex tourists. A review of police records reveal the names of foreigners who have had "incidents" with "rough trade" -- hustlers who have been, tied up, robbed or blackmailed their "clients". Conservative elements in Yucatan society are making their way down the list ... several named people have left town, but others are still on it.
ReplyDeleteEditor's note:
DeleteSome readers have written MGRR and asked for the source(s) for the allegations in the comment above. Note that these claims are those of an anonymous reader, not MGRR.
MGRR does not censure or remove reader comments, except for vulgar language, implied or actual threats, commercial spam or material completely irrelevant to the story at hand. The publication of a comment by MGRR does not suggest its endorsement, agreement with or approval of the views stated therein.
The apparent source for the reader comment above may be found in a Nov. 15 article here: http://meridaescondido.blogspot.mx.
MGRR expresses no opinion on the content of that link, nor has it attempted to evaluate the credibility of the claims made by the story's author, who is unknown to MGRR.
All of this "se dice" and "rumores" makes me sceptical. Who are these so-called conservative elements? Are those on their hit list only foreigners who have reported to the police that they've been tied up, robbed, and blackmailed by minor gay prostitutes?
DeleteProstitution has been alive and well in Merida for a very long time. Both gay and straight. Independent, semi-organized, and entrepreneurial. Some might call it sex tourism. Others might call it normal for a Mexican city the size of Merida. Not all prostitution involves minors. I would venture to say that the vast majority of prostitutes are of legal age. Granted, many prostitutes are probably younger than many of their customers. There probably aren't a lot of 65-year-old hookers making a decent living from their trade.
I suspect that the whole picture is far more complex and involves a lot more than a simple list of foreigners' names compiled by "authorities" and some rough-trade teenagers from the Zocalo.
Alec Stephens? Jose Martinez Salazar? Robert Wickard? Sam Woodruff? All were involved in "rough trade" with teenagers from the Zocalo and from sex tourism enterprises in town. Coincidence?
ReplyDeleteAn you know this from experience?You were their when this happened. You make strong statement. Please tell us how you know this.
ReplyDeleteYou know this how??
ReplyDeleteTwo more pedophiles who were part of the Brazos Abiertos/Villa Azul Merida crowd who were killed in 2012:
ReplyDeleteJORGE ALBERTO CARRILLO FARJAT, 66, strangled on September 15, 2012
CLAUDIO MARTÍN GÜEMEZ, 62, slain on March 6, 2012
See police reports (public record) documenting teenage sex workers and the parties held by Brazos Abiertos vice presidents living in Merida 2009-2011.