The body of a pregnant mother who vanished four months ago with her seven children has been tragically found dead and dumped on a roadside, thousands of miles from her home.
Discovery in Mexico
Makala Pendley, 30, from Indianapolis, was reported missing in February and was believed to be at least six months pregnant at the time of her disappearance. Her body was discovered on a dirt track on June 8 in the Mexican state of Chiapas.
Initial findings indicate her cause of death was a traumatic brain injury caused by blunt-force trauma. Authorities are treating her partner as the main suspect, and he has been remanded into custody, according to The Mirror.
Timeline of Events
Makala and her children were reported missing by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department in Indiana in February. Her body was found in the Zanicantan area of Chiapas, more than 2,000 miles away, and is understood to have been dumped between eight and 12 hours before discovery.
Chiapas state prosecutor Jorge Luis Llaven Abarca stated that the children are under the protection of authorities while arrangements are made with the United States Embassy for relatives to take custody.
Suspect in Custody
Pendley's partner, identified only as Joseph "N," has been arrested and is being held in custody. Abarca confirmed he is the main suspect in the case.
Makala's sister, Maurica Lambert, told Fox59: "She was a good mom. As moms, you know, we have our bad days, you know what I mean? And she was a good mom, though. She put her kids before she put anything."
An Indianapolis spokesperson told the Indianapolis Star that the children were taken into custody by Mexican authorities last month before being released to Makala. Her cousin Jami Dowdy spoke with WTHR 13News about the tragic case and what she would miss about her.
Dowdy said: "Her laughter, everything about Makala, she was just…whenever you seen her, no matter what she was going through, her eyes lit up. The biggest thing right now in this moment is getting our children back over here where they belong with their family who loves them and is going to raise them."
Lambert told Fox59 that her nieces and nephews will return to Indianapolis along with their mother's body.
