Canadian photographer based in Merida murdered

A National Geographic photojournalist based in Yucatán was killed and his body abandoned in the bushes of Mérida-Cancún highway.
It’s the canadian Barbara McClatchie Andrews, 74 years old, whose body was thrown into the brush, at the height of Teya, near Valladolid.

Attorney Ariel Aldecua Kuk confirmed that it was a homicide and that the cause of death was asphyxia by strangulation.

He added that investigations into this matter are advanced and in the coming hours important results on this will be taken.

It was reported that there is a person who pays their statements to the prosecution about his possible participation on these facts, whose motive allegedly was theft.

The victim, Merida resident for about 10 years, lived in a property on Calle 60 between 73 downtown, which also function as an art gallery named “In La ‘Kech”.

Barbara allegedly was very confident because she always kept open a window for people who cross out there may see the works on display and even, if asked, letting in people, even if the unknown.

Discovering the body

In yesterday morning, some peasants who went looking for firewood in the bushes, found the body of the woman half-hidden in the undergrowth, at kilometer 14 of the Merida-Valladolid road, so they called the emergency number.

At the place arrived patrols of the Public Security Secretary and the Specialized Crime Scene Unit to cordoned off the area and start gathering the evidence.

The woman wore a black blouse, jeans and tennis; as well as also she showed signs of violence.

The authorities first thought it was a hit and runover, but the autopsy found that the cause of death was asphyxia by strangulation, so that the case became a homicide.