[suspenseful music plays]
[distant birds singing]
[reporter 1] In the nation's capital, the mayor stated
that although a decree on violence against women is already in place,
her administration is working on a new protocol.
[Sayuri] Working conditions are rough.
[reporter 2] In Mexico City, as in several states across the country,
femicides are on the rise.
So far this year, there have been 809
with 173 done using a knife.
[Sayuri] You learn not to sleep, or to sleep lightly,
to sleep on and off.
[reporter 2] Statistics reveal that July had been the greatest number of cases
with 94, followed by September with 93,
August with 91,
March and June with 87 and 82, respectively.
[horn blares]
[Sayuri] It was my job to be on call to respond to all cases of femicide.
[reporter 2] This was an increase of 183%.
[Sayuri] Also, as women, it hasn't been easy.
This is an environment
in which investigations are generally carried out by men.
Investigative police forces are mostly staffed by men.
So, to me, all the work that was being done,
the decisions that were being made, seemed very, very intense.
The public prosecutors were there,
the commander was there,
and I thought out loud, "I'm going to hell."
And one of the public prosecutors said to me,
"Let me tell you something, boss."
"You're already in hell."
PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE FOR THE INVESTIGATION OF FEMICIDES
[rapid electronic beeps]
[mysterious music plays]
[song in Spanish plays]
THE PROSECUTOR
[distant phone rings]
[distant chatter]
[Sayuri] We open around 500 cases a week.
[phone ringing]
[Sayuri] Our society produces violence
because the social structures we have are violent.
I solve one femicide, and three more occur.
I solve three, and four occur. I solve five, and another occurs.
And we have even been told
that sometimes, when they think they have seen the worst,
the most painful and the most horrible case,
we see another one that surpasses it.
Human evil is infinite, and we can't imagine how deep it goes.
[tense music plays]
INTERVIEW WITH WITNESS NADYA TALINA BARRALES
KAREN ITZEL'S MOTHER
[Nadya] That day, she had invited me to lunch at her house.
I was sending her messages, but her phone was off.
She wasn't getting any messages.
I was feeling desperate, so I told José Luis,
who at that time was my son-in-law,
that we should go to the Public Prosecutor's Office.
And he said that he would go, that he would let me know what they said.
And I said, "No, we're going to Tláhuac."
"We're going to file a report because my daughter is missing."
[horns blare]
TLÁHUAC DISTRICT
[reporter] Here in Mexico City, relatives of Karen Itzel Rodríguez Barrales
blocked both directions of Tláhuac Avenue
to demand a search for the 26-year-old,
who disappeared when she was going to deliver her bachelor's thesis
to the university.
[Nadya] Karen was a very happy child.
She said that when she grew up, she was going to be a dentist.
She was completely dedicated
to her home,
to her son, even to her husband.
-This young man is Karen's husband. -[horns blare]
[man 1] Karen's.
[man 2] Look, we already made contact so the prosecutor will come.
We're pressuring them because it's the only way.
[Nadya] The public prosecutor asked me who was the last person to see her.
And I said that it was her husband.
So the public prosecutor tells me
that the one who had to file the complaint was her husband.
[man 1] Has a complaint been filed?
[man 2] Yes, it was filed on Thursday at 7:35.
[horns blare]
A missing person's case file was opened at the Prosecutor’s Office
for Karen's disappearance.
She lived with her partner in the Tláhuac borough.
And they had a child together, a young one.
Karen's mother, Mrs. Nadya Baralles,
had been harboring some strong suspicions about Karen's partner.
HUSBAND JOSÉ LUIS
[Nadya] And then José Luis Palamares calls me and says,
"Mother-in-law, where are you?"
I lied to him.
I knew that I didn't have to tell him where I was,
but I was at the prosecutor's office.
They were informing me
that they had already seen some camera footage.
They had seen him taking a bundle out of the back of a truck.
[tense music plays]
They said, "Well, now, he's no longer the complainant."
"You will become the complainant, and he becomes a suspect."
I asked about it. But…
And that's when the Investigative Police arrived
and executed the arrest warrant.
JOSÉ LUIS GALICIA PALOMARES EAST MEN'S PRISON
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE MEXICO CITY
-[officer 1] This is an arrest warrant. -[José Luis] For what reason?
-[officer 1] Here it is. -[officer 2] Disappearance of a person.
-Okay? -[officer 1] Calm down.
[indistinct background chatter]
We arrested and charged José N. for his probable involvement
in the disappearance of the young woman named Karen.
I was sent to take a DNA test for genetic analysis.
That's when I said,
"If the prosecutor's office is already asking me to do this test,
it's because my daughter is dead."
MEXICO CITY FEMICIDE MAP
[Ernestina] After exhaustive intelligence and field work,
a multidisciplinary team located the body of the young woman named Karen.
[reporter] This is the exact location of the discovery,
where we can see these plywood boards
that were left here after the equipment had plowed part of this mound of earth.
This location is also very close to the dirt road.
OPEN ACCESS LOCATION
CLANDESTINE GRAVE
FOUND AFTER NO MORE THAN 10 DAYS
FEMICIDE
-[man] Your name? -[José Luis] Yes, Your Honor.
My name is José Luis Galicia Palomares.
I'm a dentist with a degree and a professional license.
Neither my parents, nor my family,
nor I have anything to do with this situation.
None of the expert reports show that it was me,
neither in videos, nor in photos.
There's nothing.
[woman] I was assigned to carry out this investigation.
From the investigation,
it is noted that she did not go out to drop off her thesis
as the husband had stated.
And as the husband begins to contradict himself,
we begin to realize that there are some loose ends in the case.
[Nadya] I told the prosecutor at that time,
"This is not over, this is not over, prosecutor."
And she told me, "Yes, Mrs. Nadya."
She says, "There will be justice. Trust the authorities."
I told her, "I trust the authorities, prosecutor. Don't let me down."
[Sayuri] When parents tell you, I mean,
they confront you suddenly and say,
"What would you do if it were your children?"
I don't know what I would do.
And for that reason,
well, I think that had also been another one of the reasons why…
Well, at least it was part of why I had not yet made the decision
to actively pursue becoming a mother.
[laptop keys tapping]
[distant phone ringing]
[Sayuri] I was thinking, "Why would I want to become a mother to a girl
when we are living in a country
in which gender equality is still somewhere on a distant horizon,
and where women must learn to bear,
to varying degrees, the risk of being victims of femicide?"
[phone ringing]
[distant siren wails]
[suspenseful music plays]
[phone ringing more loudly]
[siren wailing]
This case, Yrma Lydya's case,
I think it was, like, a day or two after we had just gone to the Remedios river
and found the remains of Joana Esmeralda,
when Yrma Lydya's femicide took place.
[siren wails]
So the wheel keeps turning and it doesn't ever stop.
And it was so cruel.
The perfect passionate woman who gives her whole life to the stage, that's me.
When I'm singing, it's like if I'm flying.
[sewing machine whirs]
[man] I think Yrma Lydya was very clear
that she wanted to be a singer, and not just any singer.
She wanted to be a star,
a star on the level of the greats that Mexico had produced,
like Lola Beltrán, Lucha Villa.
But she wanted to be at that level.
And she even told me, for each performance,
she almost always said, "I don't wanna wear the same dress."
"Make me one for this performance."
Because she was already dreaming of becoming a big star in Mexico,
a star in Mexican folk music.
This outfit,
this was the last thing she had asked me to make for her,
to help her start her own path.
YRMA LYDYA'S FRIEND
Because until then, everything had been chosen for her by her husband.
They had been separated for about ten days.
RELATION: FAMILY AGE RANGE: YOUNG ADULT
We have a femicide at the Suntory Restaurant in Del Valle,
and boom.
[reporter] Tonight, a woman was murdered by her husband
inside the Suntory Restaurant in the Del Valle neighborhood,
in the Benito Juárez borough, here in Mexico City.
[distant siren wails]
[Sayuri] The Yrma Lydya case was a femicide
that occurred in a very upscale neighborhood,
an area where the upper social classes go,
the Suntory Restaurant.
This is the Suntory Del Valle Restaurant.
[siren wails]
[female officer] This is where the events took place.
Our team arrived at the scene, and there was already a perimeter,
which was established by the Department of Public Safety.
And, at that time,
the officers carried out the arrest of Jesús Alcocer
and one of his bodyguards,
because the other one had already fled the scene.
[siren wails]
Almost immediately, this story was being reported in all the media.
[reporter] The lawyer had shot his wife.
She was the singer Yrma Lydya, 21 years old,
whom several other diners tried to help,
but the three gunshots had already taken her life.
[Héctor] I went straight to the office,
and the police units had already arrived there.
The police units were here at the Prosecutor's Office
with this man and his bodyguard, Mr. Benjamín.
They were on duty in the department here at the Femicide Prosecutor's Office.
The man whom they were holding in custody was an elderly person,
over 70 years old.
He looked energetic at that time.
Tall, a tall man, gray hair.
He was wearing a white shirt, I think, a tie and suspenders.
A person who appeared to be obviously wealthy.
But who is this alleged lawyer?
[reporter 1] He's reported to be ostentatious, arrogant.
He carried a firearm that he would openly display
and place on the table to intimidate his counterparts.
[reporter 2] He boasted that he could get the security agencies
to buy from the suppliers he specified.
[reporter 3] It was also said that he had ties to Genaro García Luna,
the controversial Secretary of Public Security
during Felipe Calderón's six-year term.
This guy is a real piece of work, huh?
-[phone line ringing] -[cell phones ringing]
[phone chimes]
[Sayuri] Prosecutor Ernestina Godoy said to me,
"Sayuri, I have received many calls
from people asking for favors for Jesús Alcocer."
[phone chimes]
[Ernestina] Sayuri, good evening.
We're going to have to be very firm with these detainees going forward,
because the suspect has already made calls everywhere.
I knew him. I personally knew him as a lawyer.
I can tell you one thing for sure.
A lot of people's phones were ringing off the hook.
Let's just say that some powerful,
economically powerful, politically powerful people as well,
these were people who were friends of his, and also friends of mine.
They were like, "What's going on? Really? Are you sure?"
"Could it be that someone is setting him up?"
"This has to be investigated thoroughly."
"Of course, rest assured
that we will investigate this very thoroughly."
Apparently, he knows a lot of people,
but sorry, that doesn't excuse him.
Well, we'll be vigilant. Thank you.
[phone chimes]
Those are the conditions I need in order to do my job.
When the public prosecutors know
that they have the protection, support and determination
to move forward coming from up above,
the public prosecutors can make progress.
[suspenseful music plays]
And so we immediately sent our investigative people
to the crime scene, and they started the investigation at that time,
to take photographic evidence, to take blood samples,
and to recover the bullet casings.
TODAY THE FIRST HEARING MAY BE HELD TO DEFINE THEIR LEGAL SITUATION
[lawyer] Mr. Jesús Alcocer maintains the narrative
that he did not shoot his wife,
and that he is as much a victim as the other relatives of the deceased.
The lawyer told us that there is not, according to him,
a single piece of evidence showing that Jesús Hernández fired at his wife.
[distant siren wails]
[woman] There were strong indications,
ballistic indications, bullet casings that were processed,
collected in an area where it was clear that people had been socializing.
At the scene, there were wine glasses
and some illegible writings on the tablecloths.
[tense music plays]
[Héctor] Here we are in this very large evidence warehouse.
It's just huge.
Well, this is part of the job, right, that we perform at the scene of the crime.
But as a public prosecutor, I don't have direct contact with the evidence.
The person who has that contact is the one who processes the evidence.
[suspenseful music plays]
[Héctor] On the restaurant table, there was a kind of tablecloth
on which there were some handwritten notes
that, well, we deduced that Yrma Lydya had made these notes.
There had been some problems and disagreements
that she wrote about on the tablecloth.
2. GETS WORSE EVERY DAY
[Héctor] She let Mr. Alcocer know that she was no longer happy,
that she no longer wanted to be with him.
That was the motive perhaps
for Mr. Alcocer to commit this criminal act.
SAFEKEEPING: EVIDENCE WAREHOUSE
BALLISTICS AND FIREARMS AREA GENERAL ELEMENTS AREA
BALLISTICS 2022
[Héctor] The Investigative Police team went to Mr. Alcocer's home,
and indeed, they found the weapon that was used in the femicide.
[woman] This firearm is quite distinctive,
in that it is sometimes called "the cop killer."
It has the peculiarity of being a fairly powerful caliber weapon…
that has been adapted to a smaller firearm.
It is specifically designed to penetrate certain levels of armor,
which is why it was given the nickname "the cop killer."
[indistinct chatter]
[man] At 12:00 p.m. I'll call Elia right now to see if…
Really? You'll call? Okay…
[man] I'll do that while you run the investigation on the clothing.
Okay, so what about the fucking videos?
Will they give them to us? Are they gonna pick them up?
[man] Yes, they were supposed to go for…
[Héctor] The amount of pressure we felt during that time, oh my God.
Those were some difficult and complicated hours.
Very stressful, very stressful.
In 48 hours, we had to resolve the legal situation
of Mr. Alcocer and Mr. Benjamin.
-Fuck yeah, let's go. -[man] Okay? Let me call Elia.
-Please, man, okay? -[man] Okay, buddy.
[Héctor] Sounds good. I'll move on to the next matter.
[phone chimes]
What's the first thing they ask for?
-[woman 1 and woman 2] A letter of intent. -Oh my God. And after that?
[laughter]
[woman 1] Next is a certified copy of the birth certificate.
A certified copy of the marriage certificate.
[woman 2] Well, if that's the case, right?
If it's a civil partnership, provide documentary evidence.
No.
[Sayuri] An adoption process can be long.
These processes require a lot of patience,
and they require the applicants to deliver a large amount of paperwork.
BIRTH CERTIFICATE
It's my explanatory statement, my statement of intent.
You have to undergo so many tests.
Psychological tests, medical tests.
You know, it's not a minor thing
because being able to care for a young child
is a huge responsibility.
I'm suffering from writer's block, you know.
[laughs] Yeah.
Uh-huh.
Even though I'm feeling a little bit hesitant,
I'm determined to start the process, to begin the adoption process.
My decision to adopt a child comes from the heart.
I mean, it's not a…
It's not because I can't conceive.
[melancholic music plays]
KAREN ITZEL RODRÍGUEZ CLINICAL LABORATORY TECHNICIAN
I'd put my grandson to sleep.
I'd feed him dinner. I'd tuck him in.
I'd read him a story, then…
I'd watch the videos.
REQUEST C2 VIDEO CAMERAS AND PRIVATE CAMERAS
You can see all the movement
'cause the camera is in the corner of the property.
[Carolina] Ms. Nadya was upset, furious.
She said to me, "They're lying to me. I know more people were involved in this."
And she was upset because it seemed like she had to convince us
that there were more people involved in the crime.
[suspenseful music plays]
At 1:12, you can see when they take my daughter's body out.
Palomares pulls the SUV out,
and the one closing the gate is Mr. José Luis,
who was my daughter's father-in-law.
FATHER OF JOSÉ LUIS GALICIA PALOMARES
And he sits in the back, behind the driver, behind Palomares.
[suspenseful music continues]
[Nadya] And they drive away.
But when you follow that truck to where they went to dump my daughter,
you can see everything.
[engine revs loudly]
[suspenseful music continues]
And then they go into San Miguel Las Tablas.
[dogs barking]
[suspenseful music continues]
[music fades]
[Nadya] And the distance from where they drove in
to where they buried my daughter's body, it's just a few steps.
[car engine starts]
[suspenseful music plays]
[Nadya] And when they return from disposing of my daughter's body,
around 4:40-something in the morning,
you can see how Martha Beatriz opens the gate for them
when they come back.
MOTHER-IN-LAW
You can see how Martha Beatriz opens the gate
so they can drive in quickly,
and how she closes the gate,
and you can see them getting out of that SUV.
[Sayuri] The Public Prosecutor's Office
usually has a lot of other investigation files.
And the families are often 100% committed
to seeking justice and to understanding all that happened,
to getting a clear picture of the facts, not only in the files,
but also in the places where the crimes were committed,
with the victim's friends.
And that's where I think that, with effective collaboration
between family members and prosecutors, we can make progress.
WANTED FUGITIVE
[tense music plays]
[distant chatter]
[inaudible]
AT LEAST TWO SUBJECTS
[Carolina] When I first took a look at the file, I knew it was impossible
that only one person was involved in these events.
It's my job, not Ms. Nadya's job.
It's my job to investigate and to prove that more people were involved
and to what degree they were involved.
[Sayuri] I think that the most outstanding part of Carolina's work on this
was in listening carefully,
and working exhaustively,
and being attentive to Ms. Nadya's requests.
[man] So we are in courtroom number 21
to continue the trial and analysis hearings
against José Luis Galicia Palomares for the criminal act of femicide.
I've attended all the hearings.
I've been involved in my daughter's case.
Good afternoon, NTBV, vicarious victim
and representative of my minor grandson, JNGR.
NTBV, vicarious victim and representative of my minor grandson.
NTBV, vicarious victim.
Vicarious victim and representative of my minor grandson, JNGR.
I don't get anything from this, nor do I want anything, except justice.
[printer whirs]
[suspenseful music plays]
[Sayuri] It is the principle of thoroughness,
meaning that all lines of investigation,
all evidence must be processed.
And that if this results in new information
that needs to be processed, then so be it.
[suspenseful music continues]
17:30 YRMA LYDYA CASE
[woman] Yrma, I'm so happy to be joining you here at your home.
She and her husband, who is a true gentleman,
a wonderful human being, a well-known lawyer, Jesús…
-Hernández Alcocer. -Jesús Hernández Alcocer.
You have no idea how wonderful a person he is.
Just like her, so polite, so gentlemanly, so attentive.
[Sayuri] In our investigation into any history of violence,
we realized that there was a complaint that Yrma Lydya had made,
which the Prosecutor's Office classified at the time as domestic violence.
[Yrma] Jesús, did you fall?
Jesús!
[Jesús] Fuck off!
-[Yrma] What's wrong with you? -I'll beat the shit out of you!
[Yrma] What's wrong with you? What's wrong with you, Jesús?
You don't have to hit me. I came to help you.
[Sayuri] Eventually, she succumbed to pressure from this man
to forego filing charges for this crime.
And we, at the time, after a technical legal analysis was done,
considered the leniency null and void,
because what we found in Yrma Lydya's account
constituted an attempted femicide.
She had been threatened, she had been beaten.
Mr. Alcocer had threatened her
when he pointed a gun at her head, threatening to kill her.
And she only managed to escape
thanks to the cleaning staff who came to her aid.
In this case, leniency was not justified
because the Public Prosecutor's Office
should have granted protective measures for her,
and should have worked to obtain an arrest warrant
to prevent Mr. Alcocer
from continuing to commit violence against Yrma Lydya.
And she'd still be alive
if the Public Prosecutor's Office had acted in that manner.
Of course it makes us angry. It makes us very angry.
We cannot say, "It's a different investigation."
"It's another prosecutor's office."
I think it's an institutional responsibility.
-[Yrma] I'm going to sing you a ranchera. -[Carmen] Yes.
It's called "I Was Wrong About You."
Oh, yes, honey.
[in Spanish] ♪ I was wrong about you ♪
♪ I was terribly wrong ♪
♪ As very few ♪
♪ Have ever been wrong ♪
♪ I met you in church ♪
♪ And I looked at you in silence ♪
♪ So as not to disturb your prayer Which is sacred to me… ♪
[song continues in background]
[cell phone rings]
[conversation continues on monitor]
[Sayuri] We were facing a very complex hearing
before the Judiciary Authority in this case.
[woman] In Mexico City, on June 26th, 2022,
we are in hearing room number 11,
located in the North Prison, to hold a preliminary hearing
against Jesús Hernández Alcocer and Benjamín Hernández Mendoza
for the crime of femicide.
[judge] Please, on behalf of the Prosecutor's Office,
who is present?
[Héctor] Your Honor, Héctor Miguel Ortiz Acosta of the Public Prosecutor's Office
with the Femicide Investigation Prosecutor's Office.
We have the witness interview.
[judge] Your personal information will be kept confidential.
PROTECTED WITNESS YRMA LYDYA CASE
[man] I arrived at Suntory that night, a few minutes after 7:00 p.m.
INTERVIEW WITH WITNESS T1 FROM JULY 9, 2022
[man] Once inside, they gave me the first table,
which is right in front of the private dining room,
which had glass doors.
Inside that room, there were two people,
a young woman and a much older man.
He had gray hair and was wearing suspenders, by the way.
THE COUPLE IN THE PRIVATE ROOM
[man] After a few minutes, in the private room,
I saw that an argument between the two of them was getting heated,
and it was very bad.
As soon as we had the opportunity,
we informed one of the Suntory head waiters
that the argument in the private room was getting very heated,
and that he should take precautions because it was getting ugly in that room.
And soon, at some point,
I could hear that the man had started raising his voice a lot.
And he said to her,
"Because you are going to change. You are going to change!"
YOU ARE GOING TO CHANGE!
[man] He said it in a very, very aggressive and loud tone.
When one of the other waiters came by, we told him again,
"Hey, this is getting worse, and it seems like the man is armed."
"Yes, we'll look into it," he said.
What happened next was just unbelievable.
At then at some point, she looked at us,
but she didn't say anything.
She looked at us with a fearful expression.
She raised her eyebrows and her eyes were wide open,
as if to say, "Do something."
He aimed at her.
I said, "He's aiming the gun at her. He's going to shoot her!"
And he shot her.
MR. JESÚS FIRED THE SECOND SHOT
MR. JESÚS FIRED A THIRD SHOT
[man] Then… one of his assistants came in.
I didn't hear the question he asked the defendant,
but the question is easy to guess
because what Hernández Alcocer answered was,
"Well, off to jail! Fuck it!"
"Because she was a fucking whore!"
[reporter 1] A judge determined a few moments ago
that lawyer Jesús Hernández Alcocer will remain in custody.
[reporter 2] He and his driver and bodyguard,
Benjamín Hernández Mendoza, 42,
were charged for the femicide of Yrma Lydya Gamboa, 22.
An arrest warrant was issued for the second bodyguard,
who we consider an accomplice to the crime,
and who is currently a fugitive from justice.
[horns blare]
REWARD WANTED
[suspenseful music plays]
[reporter] The investigation into who killed this young woman
took an unexpected turn.
[reporter 2] The Mexico City Prosecutor’s Office reported
that Karen Itzel Rodríguez Barrales was found.
We're going to check for blood.
We're going to look for fingerprints,
bloodstains and other forensic evidence in the following rooms of that house.
In the bathroom, on the stairs, in the upstairs living room,
in the downstairs living room, and also in our victim's room.
[man] This document that we are going to read aloud, along with the audio,
represents the guidelines under which the arrest warrant was requested.
-Palomares, José Luis Palomares. -[man] José Luis Palomares.
Pay attention. Remember that this is the summary of the whole case.
In case we miss something, girls, pay attention.
Pay close attention to the details. Listen carefully, okay?
[woman] Field forensics report.
Female buried at a depth of 1.6 meters in a secret grave
in order to hide the body.
In addition, the space was filled with soil and plants
so as to make it less visible.
Autopsy report.
The body of the victim KIRB showed signs of asphyxiation by strangulation,
which is classified as fatal.
In this case, according to the location and evidence,
there is a probability that more than one person was involved.
[Carolina] Everyone, bring your jackets and make sure they're clearly labeled.
Let's go inside.
[indistinct chatter]
So you have my number.
-Yes. -Let me know if you need anything.
-But you can't come in. -That's fine.
-So we don't jeopardize the investigation. -Of course.
[motorcycle engine roars]
[woman coughs]
Thank you. This hearing was scheduled for the testimony of JNGR.
Is your witness ready, prosecutor?
Yes, Your Honor. Here is the protected witness.
[Nadya] On one occasion, when we had just come back from swimming,
I started washing the dishes,
and he brought a chair, dragged it over,
climbed on it, and said, "Grandma, stop washing the dishes."
"Listen to me. I want you to listen to me and look me in the eyes."
-I said, "Sure, son." -He said, "Turn off the faucet."
I turned off the faucet, sat in front of him and said,
"What's going on, son?"
And he said, "My mom was killed in the upstairs bathroom."
I was in shock.
[boy] Hi.
-[prosecutor] How are you? -[boy] Fine.
[prosecutor] Good. Do you know why you're here?
[boy] Because my mom was killed.
PROTECTED WITNESS KAREN ITZEL CASE
[prosecutor] Who's your mom?
[boy] Karen Itzel Rodríguez Barrales.
[prosecutor] Can you tell us where this happened?
[boy] In the upstairs bathroom.
[distant dog barking]
-[prosecutor] Whose bathroom is that? -[boy] Martha Beatriz.
-[prosecutor] Who is Martha Beatriz? -[boy] Grandma.
-[prosecutor] Your grandma? -[boy] Yes.
[prosecutor] How do you know it was in the upstairs bathroom?
[boy] Because I saw it.
[man] You see these dots? There it is. Wait, wait. Can we turn it off, please?
[aerosol can sprays]
-[woman] Chemi… -[man] Luminescence.
-[woman] Luminescence. -Irregular chemiluminescence.
On the footprint on the fourth step from the bottom.
Keep going?
[prosecutor] What did you see that day in the bathroom?
-[boy] That they killed my mom. -[prosecutor] How did you say it happened?
[boy] Well, my mom was gonna give me a bath.
And Martha Beatriz told her that it was her bathroom.
And they started arguing.
[prosecutor] What happened after the argument?
[boy] Grandpa came in and they started hitting her.
-[prosecutor] Where did they hit her? -[boy] In… in the neck.
In the arms, in the belly, and in the legs.
And then José Luis pushed her.
He climbed on top of her and grabbed her by her neck.
[cameras click]
[prosecutor] Who is José Luis?
[boy] He's my father.
[man] What we see is some irregular chemiluminescence.
[tense music plays]
[indistinct conversation]
[prosecutor] This incident that you're telling me about, was it day or night?
-[boy] At night, because it was dark. -[prosecutor] Thanks. No more questions.
-Counselor? -No questions, Your Honor.
[distant dog barks]
[indistinct police radio chatter]
FORENSIC INVESTIGATION MOBILE UNIT
[indistinct chatter]
[judge] Does the defendant have a request?
[José Luis] No, Your Honor.
[Sayuri] I have not seen remorse
in any of the men who have committed these femicides.
Those people who have openly admitted to the judges
that they committed these criminal acts tried to justify them.
[Nadya] They were looking for your mommy here, baby.
-[boy] This is where thy found her? -[Nadya] Yes, honey, in this area.
[birds singing]
[water burbling]
[metallic scraping]
[Sayuri] We really need to rethink
how we build our relationships,
how we build family,
and that means transforming everything.
Justice would accompany all of that.
[somber music plays]
[man] This hearing is to review the detention order
placed against Jesús Hernández Alcocer,
who is charged with the crime of femicide
to the detriment of the victim whose identity has been withheld.
[Héctor] At that time, he looked very, very tired, very haggard.
Mr. Alcocer's lawyers requested a review of the detention order
to ask the judge to change that order from preventive detention to house arrest.
Whoever is presenting the evidence in court
has to incorporate the testimony of a witness,
of an expert through direct questions,
what, how, when, where, why, for what?
You can't suggest the answers.
You can't say,
"You were there on that date, right?"
There will be an objection as a leading question.
[lawyer] Was there contact with the prison doctors?
[Héctor] Objection. Leading. He's giving him an answer.
[judge] Sustained. Don't answer.
[lawyer] Was there contact with prison staff?
-[Héctor] Objection. Same grounds. -[judge] Sustained. Don't answer.
[lawyer] Do you know if they performed any tests at the Ticomán Hospital
due to the emergency in question?
[Héctor] Objection. Not his own facts, and it's leading.
[judge] Sustained. Do not answer.
[lawyer] But he might know about that, Your Honor. It's not his own actions.
[judge] Counselor, I've repeatedly insisted
that you not include the answer in the questions, which you refuse to do.
You put yourself in that situation because you chose to, counselor.
[lawyer] That's all, Your Honor.
[Héctor] So once the debate has been concluded,
and then, in the arguments, we establish that there was also a risk to the victims,
and the judge will take all of that into consideration
in order not to grant the change of preventive detention to the defendant.
[phone ringing]
So the defendant, well, he remained in custody.
[judge] The court is not inclined toward granting you any other cautionary measure,
given the risk that you pose to the vicarious victims,
considering that you've already threatened them with death,
and that, at least according to the evidence presented so far,
you caused the death of YLGJ.
[somber music plays]
[reporter] Let's move on to the topics we've prepared for you today.
Divine justice?
Jesús Hernández Alcocer, known as the Suntory murderer,
who killed his wife,
the 22-year-old singer Yrma Lydya, last June,
died this morning in the North Prison.
He was known as an arrogant man,
who carried firearms,
who entered the Suntory Restaurant that night with a weapon.
Alcocer was a real character, who posed as a powerful attorney,
a man with contacts in the courts and in the judiciary.
Well, the Suntory murderer, as he was called…
[Sayuri] The family was bitterly disappointed
when this man died in custody
without receiving his sentence.
One of the first things we told them
was that the dead man was really Mr. Alcocer,
because they had some doubts about the Mexican justice system.
They said, "What if he didn't die and they're making us believe that he did,
and he is somewhere else living in freedom?"
What we told them was, "Yes, we guarantee that it is indeed him."
Because we also reviewed the autopsy
that was performed at the Institute of Forensic Sciences
in order to verify it for ourselves,
to be sure of what we told the family,
that it was indeed Mr. Alcocer.
[reporter] After the death of Jesús N.,
convicted of the femicide of the singer Yrma Lydya,
the Prosecutor's Office has a priority
to prosecute the bodyguard Mr. Benjamin, already imprisoned,
and Mr. Máximo, who, three months after the crime, is still at large.
[phone ringing]
Good evening. Let's review the progress on Máximo's compliance.
[woman] What are you doing to locate Máximo?
-How are you looking for him? -Tell us.
I don't have any new addresses. The newest ones were these.
-We checked those addresses. -[woman] I feel you're not doing your job.
The others have been checked. It's the same in the State of Mexico.
[woman] It's the same version every time--
[María] There's nothing new.
[woman] There is no progress, and you aren't fully committed.
Is that really all you've done since we last met?
[man] It's all we have. No progress.
-There's no progress, huh? -[woman] That's not a result.
[María] Where have you been looking for this man? Where are you looking for him?
There is no progress.
We don't feel that justice has been done for us.
-Of course. -[woman] It's been a long time.
You haven't done your job as you should have.
[María] Every time, it's the same thing, over and over.
That's valid, that's valid.
[María] We're leaving empty-handed again.
I hope you can arrest this guy soon.
-All right? -[woman] I hope so.
And we're not going to give up.
-[phone rings] -[woman] No, we won't.
-[María] And make an effort. -Yes, sure.
[María] Don't fall asleep. Keep it up.
[indistinct chatter]
[horn blares]
[distant siren wails]
[horn blares]
[film projector clicks, whirs]
[somber music plays]
[reporter] What's missing for Yrma Lydya?
What would she feel would be the culmination of her career?
What would her dream be?
[Yrma] The culmination of my career undoubtedly would be public recognition.
That the people would like what I do.
Right? That's what's missing.
[applause, whistling]
[reporter] There are artists who have died without public recognition.
-[Yrma] That's true. -[reporter] And it comes later.
[Yrma] Yes. No, I don't want to die. I want…
I really do want to have public recognition.
[reporter] That's beautiful.
[somber music continues]
No, once you're dead, what's the point?
I won't even be here.
Unless reincarnation exists, like they say.
Or your soul stays here, wandering around.
And then maybe, at some point, I see that, "Oh, they're listening to my song."
And so on. No, but I want to feel it.
I want to live it.
[melancholic music plays]
[indistinct conversation]
[horns blare]
[reporter] Martha Beatriz and José Luis have been arrested.
They are the parents of the alleged killer of Karen Itzel Rodríguez.
We have been following this case closely in this newscast.
They will remain in Santa Martha Acatitla
and the North Prison, respectively,
for aggravated femicide as co-perpetrators of the crime.
PRETRIAL COURTHOUSES FOR MEXICO CITY'S EASTERN DETENTION CENTER
[Nadya] I have not been able to mourn my daughter.
[indistinct chatter]
[Nadya] So I would really like to be able to mourn my daughter's death soon,
when this entire case,
the investigation files, everything is closed.
[judge] In a joint action,
the accused José Luis Galicia Palomares committed this criminal act of femicide,
and is sentenced for the crime of gang femicide
for taking the life of the victim KIRB.
[Nadya] All I want…
I just want to climb to the top of a hill by myself,
or go to a forest by myself.
I want to isolate myself from people,
isolating myself even from my own grandson,
from my children, from my family, from everyone.
[birds singing]
The maximum sentence is considered fair, given the nature of the aggression.
He is sentenced to 105 years in prison, and he's also sentenced to pay damages.
Does the defendant have any motions?
None, Your Honor.
[somber music plays]
[Nadya] Hello?
Well, happy.
The verdict was guilty.
And I thought, "I should tell Sayuri that you have to be there
because you always stayed on the case and you gave me so much support."
[voice breaking] Thanks to you, they worked hard on my case.
That day, I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry,
and to say goodbye to her.
That's what I wanted. To say goodbye to my daughter.
And also to let her know that she can rest now.
We can let her rest.
We can finally let her rest in peace.
[birds singing]
[melancholic music plays]
[music ends]
-[woman] Surprise! -[Sayuri] Hello, baby!
[baby whimpers]
[baby cries]
♪ Here, here it is, here it is… ♪
I think that one thing that so many women have worked for,
in the streets,
in the communities, in the prosecutor's office,
and the work we have done,
the energy we have put into obtaining justice,
has not been in vain.
[in Spanish] ♪ That yesterday there was only smoke ♪
♪ Butterflies, butterflies ♪
♪ That emerged from the dark ♪
♪ Ballerinas… ♪
[in English] I went ahead with the adoption process,
and decided to adopt a girl because I decided, hmm…
to have hope.
[in Spanish] ♪ Little white vessel ♪
♪ Slender, nervous… ♪
-[phone chimes] -[baby whimpers]
[phone chiming]
[somber music plays]
MORE LOVE LESS DRAMA
HELP LOCATE HER FAMILY. HER BODY WAS FOUND ON THE HIGHWAY.
[somber music continues]
[music ends] continues]