Jose Gutiérrez, 36, his fiancée, Daniela Márquez Pichardo, 31, Picardo’s sister and her cousin were found dead in a van.
The bodies of an Ohio architect, his fiancée, and two of her relatives who vanished on Christmas Day in Mexico have been found and identified, according to reports.
The four were found dead in a van riddled with bullet holes in it, according to TV Azteca.
Jose Gutiérrez, 36, his fiancée, Daniela Márquez Pichardo, 31, as well as Picardo’s sister and her cousin were last seen at a restaurant in Zacatecas, Mexico.
Picardo’s sister, Viviana Márquez, 26, her cousin Irma Vargas, 27, and Guitérrez were seen on footage at the restaurant for over two hours before leaving, WLTV reported.
Several hours later, Pichardo's mother, Rosa Pichardo, reportedly received a strange text from her daughter. It only included her location.
"The mother did state, and her specific words were, 'I know something was not right. She sent this because they felt that they were in danger,'" Gutiérrez's sister, Brandie Gutiérrez, told WLTV.
Picardo’s relatives attempted to search for their missing loved ones but police warned them not to enter the area they wanted to search due to safety concerns, Brandie Gutiérrez told WLWT. Gutiérrez’s family said they believed that the group was abducted.
José was born in Mexico and moved to the U.S. where he obtained a master's degree. He worked as an architect in Ohio, the New York Post reported.
The company in Ohio that he worked for expressed their sadness over the loss of a valued team member and announced they will be creating a scholarship in his name.
“We will all miss him more than words can express. Champlin Architecture will be creating a scholarship in his name at Miami University, in order to honor his impact to our firm and the community,” said Champlin Architecture in a Facebook post.
The U.S. Department of State has a “do not travel” advisory for the Mexican state of Zacatecas due to the threats of crime and kidnapping. “Violent crime, extortion, and gang activity are widespread in Zacatecas state,” the State Department's site reads.
