CNN
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The family is demanding answers after authorities in Mexico’s Ciudad Juárez discovered that 383 bodies were kept at crematorium months and years after the people died.
Norma Guardado Meraz was one of many locals who visited the Chihuahua prosecutor’s office this week to obtain detailed information on the investigation into the findings.
The discovery took place on June 26th after finding a spirit hearse, with two bodies stacked in a room in the building’s courtyard.
Prosecutor Cesar Jalegui said the body pile had accumulated since 2020, suggesting that Prenitudo Crematorium was unable to carry out subcontracted services at the six funeral homes.
“We want the answer so we are satisfied and we can make sure that the right people are in our ur because we help the authorities see what’s going on,” Guardado Meraz told CNN.
She and her family want to clarify the fate of her mother, Maria Nieves Meraz, who passed away three years ago and was mourned by one of the funeral homes that subcontracted the crematorium.
Another resident, Javier Ramirez, went to the prosecutor’s office Wednesday to determine whether the artefact he received actually belonged to his father. One of the other funeral homes.
CNN is attempting to reach funeral home managers for comment.
“They tell us they’ll let us know when they have the information, but they don’t know how long it will take. In other words, we have to wait and see for them to tell us,” Ramirez told CNN.
CNN asks the prosecutor how many complaints they received in this case and is waiting for a response.
The office said Tuesday that of the 383 bodies found, 218 were male and 149 were female, with 16 genders unspecified.
Authorities are detaining the owner of the company that operated the crematorium and its assistant in connection with the discovery. They were scheduled to appear in court on Friday. CNN is trying to contact legal defense teams to find out how they will respond to accusations against them.
As the case moves forward, the prosecutor’s office says it is pledging a thorough investigation and encourages more people to move forward and demand answers.
