Authorities have taken two individuals into custody, believed to be connected to a recent homicide case.

The case involves Reverend Ernesto Baltazar Hernández Vilchis, a 43-year-old priest who went missing in Tultepec, a town situated north of Mexico City, on October 27. Tragically, his body was discovered on Wednesday, approximately 15 kilometers from where he vanished. The prosecutor’s office has launched a thorough investigation into this disturbing murder, as confirmed in a recent statement.

While the exact motive behind the killing remains unclear, officials have released some details about the circumstances surrounding the crime. According to their statement, Reverend Hernández Vilchis had driven alone to a residence where he spent several hours with a man and a woman. During this visit, he was reportedly attacked with a sharp object. The man’s partner later arrived at the scene, allegedly becoming involved as well.

It is believed that these three individuals collaborated in concealing the body. The man, already known to authorities due to a prior conviction for violent robbery, and his partner have been apprehended. Meanwhile, the other woman remains under investigation for her potential role in the crime.

This incident adds to a troubling pattern of violence against religious figures in Mexico. According to the Catholic Multimedia Centre, which monitors such attacks, ten priests have been murdered in the country between 2019 and 2024. During this same timeframe, the Catholic Church has also faced around 900 incidents of extortion, death threats, and other forms of aggression.

The church’s Catholic Multimedia Centre, which tracks attacks on priests, said 10 priests were killed in Mexico from 2019 to 2024. During the same period there were 900 cases of extortion, death threats against members of the Catholic Church, as well as other types of aggression.