Bad Ass Mom ~ The Case of Miriam Elizabeth Rodriguez Martinez CONCLUSION

 

Miriam had courageously taken on the Mexican cartel, in the name of justice for her daughter; but at what cost???

In March 2017, twenty-nine gang members had dug a tunnel and escaped the prison they were in. Upon learning of their escape, Miriam contacted the police and asked them to provide protection for her; which they said they would. Unfortunately for this vigilante mother, this was not enough.

On Mother's Day, May 10, 2017, Miriam Elizabeth Rodriguez Martinez was hobbling up her driveway. (She was in a cast because she got a broken foot after chasing down the last young suspect). It happened around 10:20 that night, when a white nissan pulled up to her driveway and shots rang out. Her husband found her lifeless body sprawled in the driveway; her hand was in her purse, where she carried her pistol.

Miriam had been shot 13 times, in the back. The cowards murdered her from behind. I think the saddest part of this whole story is that Miriam virtually did all the hunting of these murderers for THREE years, pretty much on her own; but it took her being killed before there was an uprise in the community, who demanded change.

The government took notice. They arrested two of the members who killed Miriam, and killed a third. It would seem that Miriam was still speaking from her grave because a month later, thanks to all her hard research and work, law enforcement found a woman (another gang member) who was the one who hung Karen and used her for a punching bag. Police found her in Veracruz and arrested her too.

Miriam remains a very prominent name in the human rights activist community. Another case that was very similar to Karen's was a 14-yr-old boy who was abducted. Luciano's mother and family decided to follow Miriam's footsteps and went to Mexico. Sadly for them, it ended with them finding Luciano's body in 2020.

Luis (Miriam's son) and Luciano's family all agree that it was because of Miriam's fight for her own daughter that helped break the case of their own child. Proudly Miriam's death did not happen in vain. Her legacy continues through the foundation she created...

The San Fernando Collective for the Disappeared, which investigates the claims of abducted children. Sadly, the foundation had slowly collapsed; but you want to know what is even worse???

This is not a unique case by any means...

Approximately 100,000 people have disappeared in Mexico since 2007 when the then-Mexican president declared a “war on drugs.”

I wish I could give everyone an update on how the Rodriguez Martinez family is doing, but it appears since the organization/foundation had collapsed, the family has not been in the spotlight... and honestly, who can blame them.

Miriam Elizabeth Rodriguez Martinez & Karen Alejandra Salinas Rodríguez, may you both Rest in Peace