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Reporter's Notebook: Kristin Bricker

Mexican Activists Turn Over Mexico City Man to Police in Sally Grace Eiler Murder Case

Posted by Kristin Bricker - September 27, 2008 at 11:18 pm

Omar Yoguez SinguLast night Mexican police transferred Omar Yoguez Singu, 32, to the Oaxacan attorney general's custody for murdering 20-year-old Marcella "Sally" Grace Eiler.  The AP reports that he claims he had consensual sex with Sally, then killed her with a machete during an argument.

Yoguez Singu was captured thanks to the quick action of Oaxacan activists who publicized her murder internationally.

Yoguez Singu raised his friends' suspicions when he returned to Mexico City from a recent trip to San Jose del Pacifico, were locals discovered Sally's decaying and mutilated body in a cabin.  They noticed that he was injured and that his two dogs were missing, so they asked him what happened.  Yoguez Singu reportedly told them that one of his dogs bit a child in the community, so locals tried to kill the dog with a machete.  He allegedly told them that he was injured attempting to save the dog.

Thanks to the widely disseminated statement signed by Oaxacan organizations that Sally worked with, people in Yoguez Singu's circle of friends knew that a woman was murdered in San Jose del Pacifico while Yoguez Singu was there.  They called activists in Oaxaca to confirm Yoguez Singu's story about his dogs. 

Townspeople from San Jose del Pacifico denied Yoguez Singu's story.  They said both of the dogs were still with them because Yoguez Singu had left without them.  They also reportedly said he was the last person they saw with Sally before she disappeared.

When Yoguez Singu's friends confronted him about his lies, he reportedly confessed to them.  His friends kept an eye on him while Oaxacan activists made the trip to Mexico City to obtain an arrest warrant.

When the arrest warrant was finalized, activists reportedly arranged to meet police in a supermarket to hand over Yoguez Singu.  The AP reports that he was arrested on Wednesday, September 24.

Activists were quick to place Sally's murder in the context of rampant unchecked violence against women in Oaxaca.  They note that aggressors are hardly ever punished for their crimes.  "There is no justice in Oaxaca," said a spokesperson for the Popular Indigenous Council of Oaxaca - Ricardo Flores Magon (CIPO-RFM).

About Kristin Bricker

Personal Website
http://mywordismyweapon.blogspot.com

Biography

Kristin Bricker is a Mexico-based Narco News correspondent. She is also part of the Rebel Imports collective, which sells fair trade textiles, coffee, and honey from Zapatista cooperatives. You can reach Kristin at krisbricker@gmail.com.

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Comments

Rape and murder of Sali

Submitted September 28, 2008 - 12:37 am by Karley (not verified)

Dear Kristin,

I just want to say thank you for the work you are doing since Sali was murdered.  I am very happy that the murderer was captured. My family is a friend of sali's dad and his family .  We are deeply sadned by the situation.  No parents want to outlive their children.  I will continue praying for justice for Sali. what is the penalty for a murderer in Mexico?

Again,

thank you for all

Karley

Justice is Arbitrary

Submitted September 28, 2008 - 1:59 pm by Kristin Bricker

The work isn't over for activists here in Mexico and in the US.  Justice is arbitrary in Mexico, so it's hard to give an estimate of what the penalty could be.  It all depends on how much of a fight we put up.

There is no death penalty in Mexico. It hasn't been used in decades, and it was officially outlawed under former President Fox.

To give you an idea of the arbitrariness of justice here:

Ignacio del Valle, leader of the Popular Front in Defense of the Land in San Salvador Atenco, was arrested for kidnapping police officers (No one kidnapped cops.  If someone kidnapped the cops then where are the missing cops?  There are none and there never were.) and attacking the means of communication (it's like incomoding, except it's a big crime here because it's easy to pin on activsts).  He received 112 years in prison.  He's currently locked in a maximum security prison with...

Daniel “El Mocha Orejas” Arizmendi, who kidnapped at least 21 people and murdered at least 3 of them.  When he was captured he was found to be in posession of at least a dozen weapons (Mexico isn't the US.  Civilians can't carry guns here at all--his guns were former property of the Mexican Army and Air Force).  His nickname is "El Mocha Orejas" because he used to cut off the ears of his victims to encourage ransom payments.  He was sentenced to 50 years.

The organizations who denounced Sally's murder have vowed to keep up the fight to make sure justice is served.  US activists will have to do the same, to get the US consulate in Oaxaca to pressure the Oaxacan attorney general's office to carry out a full investigation.

I would encourage people to contact Friends of Brad Will if they want to help put pressure on the Oaxacan government.  Through their efforts to seek justice in Brad's case, they already have contacts in the US and Mexican government.  Unfortunately, they've had to play this game before.  They would be a good resource.  Their webpage is www.friendsofbradwill.org

I also want to thank you and

Submitted October 1, 2008 - 6:09 am by Jane Costanza (not verified)

I also want to thank you and your organization for helping with the conviction of the criminal that murdered and raped Sally.  She was a bright free spirited girl who was innocent and his never should have happened.

Please keep up the great work that you are all doing.  Is their anyway that any of us can help.  I live in Australia so I am a bit far but I can help with fundraising for Sally.

 

Regards,

Jane Costanza

Where to go for help and international injustice.

Submitted December 3, 2008 - 3:33 pm by Bill Tucker (not verified)
Hi Kristen,

I just read about Sali about a week ago and it made me realize how much I forget
that violence is happening toward women and they are not recieving the justice they
deserve. I'm all the way in Chicago and it's very powerful that word has
gotten this far considering the amount of overlooked violent acts toward women.

I felt compelled to writing you because of the mention of violence against women
getting overlooked in Mexico. This woke me up and I realized that it isn't just a
problem in the U.S.. The more people are conscious of the laws that protect
the violent and don't do anything about making a change, they become a
part of the system that propagates violence. Laws are meant to protect, but
bad laws need to be changed.

I am encouraged that you mentioned the activist community as a powerful and postive
group. A lot of people say that activists are just causing trouble, but
this is proof that being active and forming international communication can
change the world for the better.

Also, here are a couple of organizations that are helping in bringing an end to
apathy toward violence against women. They also help people who are coping with the
rape of those close by. It's hard to tell just how much something can hurt
for the directly involved, but if people can feel even the slightest amount
of pain from hearing this story about someone they have never met I can't
even imagine how her family feels.

Thank you for your article.

Rape Victims Advocates in Chicago
Take Back the Night

There is so much to be conscious of and it's hard when it seems like the majority of
the world just wants to shut down rather than find solutions. Standing up
against violence by encouraging legislators to stop ignoring that there is a problem
in law is a huge step in seeing an end to violence against women.

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