Overview
- Juan Manuel Zavala Madrigal, vicario of San Marcos Evangelista in Ocotepec, was found at Laguna Verde in Coapilla after being reported missing Sunday night.
- The Chiapas prosecutor’s office said a necropsy determined death by asphyxia from submersion and reported no significant external injuries.
- Early Monday searches recovered his backpack in Coapilla and later his vehicle near Barrio San Juan, where priestly garments were also found.
- According to the state prosecutor, witness accounts include an 11 p.m. phone call in which Zavala said he was lost and his car was stuck on a rural road.
- Authorities opened a case file and a multidisciplinary team is investigating the circumstances, as the archdiocese confirmed his death and offered condolences.