Missing Chicago Couple Found Dead Near Mexico City

A Chicago couple who had been missing since May has been confirmed dead near Mexico City, their family said Wednesday.

Zafar Padamsee Mawani and his husband, Guillermo Jaffet Hidalgo Ortiz, both 56, disappeared south of the Mexican capital after going to meet a contractor about equipment for Mawani's mother.

What Led to the Discovery

Mawani, a U.S. citizen, and Hidalgo Ortiz had moved from the Chicago area to Tlalpan, a municipality in southern Mexico City, last October, according to ABC News' reporting on the case.

The couple disappeared on May 20 while in the process of buying a lift chair for Mawani's mother, who has Alzheimer's, according to NBC Chicago, after arranging to meet two local contractors.

Authorities later made a number of arrests connected to the case. Detainees subsequently told investigators where to search, leading Mexican prosecutors to four unidentified bodies recovered from the mountains outside the city.

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What the Family Said

The family confirmed Wednesday that Mexican authorities had identified their loved ones among those recovered.

In a statement, Mawani's family thanked everyone who had supported the search: "We are grateful beyond words to everyone who tried to help bring Zafar home to us — investigators on the ground, our core strategy and support team, authorities in both countries, generous volunteer organizations, as well as friends and loved ones who stepped forward to help without being asked."

Mawani is a graduate of Oak Park River Forest High School and the University of Chicago. Hidalgo Ortiz was a longtime, well-known figure in Chicago's hospitality industry with deep ties to the Oak Park community, according to relatives who spoke to ABC7 Chicago.

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Where the Bodies Were Found

The official missing-person bulletin issued by Mexico City authorities placed the couple's last known location roughly 50 kilometers east of the mountains of La Marquesa National Park, south of the capital.

NBC News Chicago had reported in late May that the men were splitting time in Mexico to help care for Mawani's mother, and separately reported unusual withdrawals from the couple's bank accounts in the period before they vanished.

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A Case That Fits a Larger, Harder Pattern

More than 135,000 people are currently missing across Mexico as a result of criminal violence, according to the country's most recent federal data.

That number has kept climbing even as homicide figures have dropped sharply since President Claudia Sheinbaum took office in 2024 — a divergence that points to disappearance, not killing, as the metric that has resisted the broader improvement in violence statistics.

In May alone, 977 people were reported missing nationwide, according to Mexico's official missing persons registry.

Why This Case Drew International Attention

Relatives' groups have staged protests in recent days while Mexico co-hosts the FIFA World Cup, demanding more resources for searches that are typically led by families themselves rather than the state.

One of their most consistent complaints is that authorities respond more quickly when missing people are foreigners than when they are Mexican nationals — a tension this case sits directly inside of, given the binational nature of the search and the international attention it drew once Mawani's U.S. citizenship became part of the story.

Key Takeaways

• Zafar Padamsee Mawani, a U.S. citizen, and his husband Guillermo Jaffet Hidalgo Ortiz, both 56, have been confirmed dead after going missing near Mexico City on May 20.

• The couple had moved from the Chicago area to Tlalpan in October and disappeared while arranging to buy equipment for Mawani's mother.

• Arrests were made in connection with the case; detainees led authorities to four unidentified bodies found in nearby mountains.

• The family confirmed the deaths Wednesday, thanking searchers and authorities in both countries.

• More than 135,000 people remain missing in Mexico, with 977 reported missing in May alone.

Sources

• Associated Press / New York Post — Missing Chicago Couple Found Dead Outside Mexico City, Family Confirms

• ABC News — 2 Missing Chicago Men Found Dead Outside Mexico City, Family Confirms

• NBC Chicago — US Authorities Asked to Intervene After Longtime Chicago Couple's Disappearance in Mexico City

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