Horror has struck as a pregnant mother of seven was found dead and dumped thousands of miles from her home. Makala Pendley was reported missing in February, but her body was discovered earlier this month with signs that she had been 'dumped' between eight to 12 hours after her death.
Body Found in Mexico
Makala Pendley's body was found in Mexico, according to reports. The boyfriend of the pregnant mother, whose body was found with 'blunt force injuries', has been remanded into custody, police have confirmed. The expecting mother of seven was reportedly six months pregnant at the time of her disappearance in February and was said to have vanished with her children. Sadly, the body of Makala Pendley, from Indianapolis, was found months later on June 8, thousands of miles from her home.
Makala's body was found dumped on a dirt track in the Mexican state of Chiapas. Initial findings indicate that her cause of death was a traumatic brain injury caused by blunt-force trauma. Cops are treating her partner as the main suspect in the case and have remanded him into custody, as reported by The Mirror.
Details of the Discovery
The body of the 30-year-old mother is understood to have been dumped between eight and 12 hours before it was found by officials. Her sister, Maurica Lambert, stated that Makala told local outlets she was at least six months pregnant at the time she vanished. 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 the Mexican state of Chiapas, more than 2,000 miles away.
Chipas state prosecutor Jorge Luis Llaven Abarca said in a statement: 'They (the children) are...under the protection of the authorities, while the necessary arrangements are being made with the United States Embassy so that relatives can take custody of them.' Pendley's partner, who has only been identified as Joseph 'N,' has been arrested and is being held in custody. Abarca said he was the main suspect in the case.
Family Tributes
'She was a good mom,' Maurica told Fox59. '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 after being found 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.
She 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.
