Mexico investigates the death of an American scientist assassinated in north country

After making himself known the murder of Gabriel Trujillo, a graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley who traveled to Mexico to carry out an investigation of endemic plants in the country, the authorities reported that they are investigating the fact to find those responsible.

The Sonora Justice Prosecutor's Office, the entity where the young man's body was found, issued a statement detailing that the victim was located on June 22 in a stretch of road in the town of San Nicolas, on the border with the state of Chihuahua.

A few meters from the body, a van with California license plates in which Trujillo was traveling was found, and various pieces of evidence were collected at the place and are being analyzed by the forensic laboratories of Chihuahua. the institution, the agency added.

In addition, the Prosecutor's Office reported that the cause of death was several gunshot wounds, and that he was between three five days after his death when they found the body.

Rest in peace Gabriel Trujillo, and my sincere condolences to Roxy-her life partner-, her family, & community of friends including @cheriedvb @claire_willing . Here is Gabriel teaching us how to make Huitlacoche three weeks ago: https://t.co/6W7fH1xv89 pic.twitter.com/CzE1EN08Zv

— Jorge Ramos, PhD (@JorgeRH2O) June 30, 2023

“His body was analyzed by Forensic Services and fully identified by his relatives to whom it was delivered,” the statement said.

According to the AP agency, Trujillo crossed the Arizona border into Nogales on June 17. He spoke with his father the next day and he and his fiancée, Roxanne Cruz-de Hoyos, spoke on the morning of June 19. He told her that he would go out to collect plants and that he would return to his Airbnb later.

His partner was concerned, however, when the young man did not return their phone calls and text messages (they usually spoke several times a day), and his Airbnb hosts said his belongings were still there but he had not returned.

After more than a week without the authorities of the Sonora Attorney General's Office, nor the Secretary of Public Security of the State giving progress on the investigation, his fiancee and her parents denounced the crime to various media outlets in the United States, while the University of California at Berkeley condemned the tragedy in a statement.

Likewise, the civil organization Highland Park Heritage Trust asked the Mexican authorities for a thorough investigation and justice for Gabriel and his family.

According to the GoFoundMe.com site, where his relatives are collecting for repatriating the body to the United States and his funeral, Trujillo had been touring Mexico for five years.

The victim was a botanist in his fourth year of a doctoral program in the Department of Integrative Biology at UC Berkeley.