Santa Muerte cult kills 3 as human sacrifices in Mexico
A devotee blows smoke to the figures of the Santa Muerte (Saint of Death) in an altar at Yolanda Salazar’s sanctuary in her home in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua state, Mexico, on October 31, 2010.
Authorities in the northern Mexican state of Sonora have arrested eight people accused of killing two 10-year-old boys and one 55-year-old woman as human sacrifices for Santa Muerte — the saint of death, reported CNN. The victims were killed in order to offer their blood at an altar to the saint, according to state prosecutors spokesman José Larrinaga. The accused were asking Santa Muerte, who is generally seen as a skeleton dressed in a long robe and carrying a scythe, for protection.
More from GlobalPost: Latin America's hidden growth story
While Santa Muerte has become popular among a cult of drug traffickers and criminals in Mexico in recent years, there have been no confirmed cases of human sacrifices in the country to the saint of death, which is not recognized by the Roman Catholic Church, according to the Associated Press. Usual offerings left near one of the skeleton statues are candy, cigarettes and incense.
Larrinaga said the first victim was apparently killed in 2009, the second in 2010 and the latest earlier this month, reported The Telegraph.
"The ritual was held at nighttime, they lit candles," Larrinaga said to The Telegraph. "They sliced open the victims' veins and, while they were still alive, they waited for them to bleed to death and collected the blood in a container."
Authorities began investigating after 10-year-old Jesus Octavio Martinez Yanez was reported missing on March 6 by his stepfather, reported Al Jazeera. Investigations led them to an apparent altar site in Nacozari, Sonora, about 110km south of Douglas, Arizona. Larrinaga said the arrests were made after tests by forensic experts on Thursday found blood traces spread over 30 square meters of the altar site.
Those arrested included Silvia Meraz, who Larrinaga said spread the blood around the altar, and her son Ramon Palacios, who allegedly killed the victims, according to the AP. They were identified as the leaders of the Santa Muerte cult.
"We all agreed to do it. Supposedly she was a witch or something," said Meraz to reporters, referring to the female victim. She did not respond to questions about the boys' killings.
The story you just read is accessible and free to all because thousands of listeners and readers contribute to our nonprofit newsroom. We go deep to bring you the human-centered international reporting that you know you can trust. To do this work and to do it well, we rely on the support of our listeners. If you appreciated our coverage this year, if there was a story that made you pause or a song that moved you, would you consider making a gift to sustain our work through 2024 and beyond?