Isaías ‘N’ Sentenced to 140 Years for Murder of Teen William Hernández in Cancún

Cancún, Quintana Roo — A court in Cancún has sentenced a man identified as Isaías “N” to 140 years in prison for the murder of William Hernández Zapata, a 17-year-old who disappeared from his home in this resort city in December 2017 and whose remains were found nearly seven years later.

The ruling was issued late Wednesday during an oral trial at the criminal courts on Nichupté Avenue. The Madres Buscadoras de Quintana Roo search collective, whose members gathered outside the courthouse in support of William’s mother, Carmita Zapata, announced the outcome shortly afterward.

William was 17 when a group of armed men took him from his home in the Corales subdivision on December 19, 2017. Investigators believe he was abducted in order to demand a ransom from his family.

His remains were recovered in November 2024 in a wooded area of the city, closing a search that his mother had led for years.

The Quintana Roo State Prosecutor’s Office arrested Isaías “N” and identified him as the principal suspect in the teenager’s killing.

Search Collective Hails Ruling

The Madres Buscadoras group credited Carmita Zapata’s persistence with securing the conviction.

“We cannot bring William back, but his memory is honored. This sentence shows that when families stay united and demand justice, justice can arrive,” the collective said.