Journalist Who Exposed Unsolved Murder Found Dead in Cozumel

Cozumel, Quintana Roo — Melvin García Carbajal, the journalist and author of the book "Mayra, Her Life Ended, Her Story Began," which linked the unsolved 1999 murder of a teenage girl to former Quintana Roo Governor Félix González Canto, was found dead Monday in a rented room in Cozumel. Preliminary reports suggest the 57-year-old communicator may have died by hanging, though the Quintana Roo Prosecutor’s Office has not issued an official statement.

A Case Shrouded in Impunity

García’s book detailed the killing of 16-year-old Mayra Beatriz Ayuso Rodríguez, a third-semester student at Conalep Cozumel, who was found dead three days after her disappearance in a vacant lot near Cozumel International Airport. The crime, which occurred on November 9, 1999, remains unresolved.

Ayuso Rodríguez was pregnant at the time of her death. According to García’s investigation, the case was marred by irregularities, including the disappearance of key evidence—such as the fetus—and the loss of case files under the administration of then-Attorney General Humberto Pereira Vázquez.

Allegations Against Former Governor

García’s book alleged that Félix González Canto, then-governor of Quintana Roo, was the presumed father of Ayuso Rodríguez’s unborn child. The journalist faced a defamation lawsuit from González Canto, which García claimed was politically motivated, forcing him to leave Cozumel for several years before returning recently.

The autopsy, conducted by forensic examiner Efrén González Herrera, concluded that Ayuso Rodríguez died of asphyxiation and had been sexually assaulted before her death. Due to advanced decomposition, critical evidence, including seminal residue, could not be recovered.

Unresolved Questions

The victim’s parents, Ana Isabel Mejía Rodríguez and Jorge Ayuso Chacón, had requested a DNA test on the fetus, but the Quintana Roo Attorney General’s Office stated it could not be located. The original case file (1100/1999) vanished entirely, leading to the opening of a new investigation (438/99), which contained inconsistencies.

García’s death leaves unresolved not only the murder of Ayuso Rodríguez but also the journalist’s own allegations of political persecution. Current Quintana Roo Attorney General Raziel López Salazar has yet to comment on either case.

The unsolved murder of Mayra Ayuso Rodríguez and the circumstances surrounding García’s death underscore longstanding concerns about impunity and justice in Quintana Roo.