Chivis Martinez for Borderland Beat
Rest in Peace Marisela..
She was one of Mexico’s heroes, Marisela Escobedo had but one mission in life after the 2008 murder of her daughter, Rubi Marisol; to bring her daughter’s killer to justice.
The confessed killer was Rubi’s boyfriend and father of her baby, Sergio Rafael Barraza Bocanegra, aka comandante Bamino or “Piwi”, all of the violent Mexican city of Juarez.
Marisela petitioned, marched, and kept her daughters case alive in the press. Barraza gave a written detailed confession of his torture and murder of Rubi, and led authorities to the burned corpse. In 2009 he went on trial in Chihuahua.
Incredibly he was found legally innocent by a panel of three judges. In a misunderstanding of the new American style of the administration justice- without the benefit of training- resulted in implementation of a system whereas a conviction standard was so great it was impossible to convict.
Absurdly, the three judges unanimously enacted a killer his freedom.
In courtroom footage Mareisela is seen and heard releasing all hope, grief, and the pain of injustice as she rises from her seat in the court and completely “loses it”. Her screams are felt and impossible to forget.
The judges were removed from the bench and were hunted down by outraged citizens. They applied for asylum in the US.
She continued her protest, now against impunity, and spke of the many threats she received. “I have threats from him and against my family, if he is to kill me let him do so in front of the government so they can feel shame.” A prophetic statement from the brave woman.
She accused Ciudad Juarez of protecting Rubi’s killer because he was part of a cartel, so they did not act.
On December 17, 2011 Marisela was murdered in front of the Government Palace of Chihuahua on while conducting a sit-in protest demanding justice for the murder of his daughter. She ran across the street towards the government palace being chased by her assassin who easily caught up to her and shot her in the head, on a busy highway, with many witnesses, and filmed on security cameras.
This video tribute is the best I have seen. It has her last minutes alive, her last protest and her execution below :
November 2012:
Reported by Sol Zacatecas events unfolded on Friday in the municipality of Joaquin Amaro, Zacatecas that resulted in the killing of Barraza by the Mexican army. His wife of three months identified the body announced the Procurator of Justice of the State of Zacatecas Nahle Arturo Garcia. The body was in the facilities of the Forensic Medical Service (SEMEFO) where the wife identified and claimed the body.
Thanks Badanov
Thanks Badanov
