Civil and Catholic Church authorities reported the discovery of the body of Father Juan Manuel Zavala Madrigal, a 53-year-old Mexican priest who had been reported missing since the night of Sunday, March 8, in the state of Chiapas in southern Mexico.
In a statement, the Archdiocese of Tuxtla Gutiérrez stated that the priest’s body was found near Laguna Verde, an ecotourism center located about 12 miles from his parish.
The priest served as vicar at St. Mark the Evangelist Parish in the town of Ocotepec. According to local reports, the priest had left to celebrate Mass in another community; however, after the Mass his whereabouts became unknown.
According to the Ocotepec city council, the municipal public security directorate activated a search operation after receiving the report of his disappearance around 9 p.m. local time on Sunday.
The search efforts were carried out in coordination with neighboring townships; however, “during the first hours of the search, the results were negative, until the tragic discovery made near the ecotourism center today,” the city council stated.
The Chiapas state attorney general’s office reported that it has opened an investigation to determine what happened in coordination with local authorities.
In its statement, the Archdiocese of Tuxtla Gutiérrez expressed confidence that the pertinent authorities will carry out “the necessary procedures to clarify what happened.”
The archdiocese also expressed its “closeness, solidarity, and condolences” to Zavala’s family as well as to his parish community and all the faithful “who are today dismayed by this painful loss.”
No signs of violence were found
On the evening of March 9, the Chiapas state attorney general’s office released updates on the investigation into Zavala’s death.
According to the attorney general’s office, after celebrating Mass, the priest contacted a colleague around 11 p.m. local time, telling him that he was lost, his vehicle was stuck on a road, and he didn’t know where he was.
The attorney general’s office also indicated that there is a video showing him “wandering alone on one of the streets, near where he was found.”
According to the autopsy report, no injuries or blows were found. The cause of death was “asphyxiation by submersion in water”; that is, drowning.
In a subsequent statement, the Archdiocese of Tuxtla Gutiérrez also reported that Zavala “had a medical history of bivascular coronary artery disease, information that is part of his medical record.”
Both the attorney general’s office and the archdiocese indicated that the investigations are ongoing and that more evidence and expert reports will be gathered to accurately determine the facts.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
This story was updated at 3:57 p.m. on March 11, 2026, with the information from the attorney general’s office.
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