A shaken Honduras buried its Miss World contestant and her sister Thursday, after the latter's boyfriend shot them in a jealous rage, according to police and media reports.
Mourners sobbed as coffins holding the remains of Miss Honduras, 19-year-old Maria Jose Alvarado, and her sister Sofia Trinidad Alvarado, 23, were lowered into the ground at a cemetery in the northwestern town of Santa Barbara.
The violence-plagued Central American nation has been in shock since police found the sisters' bodies buried along the banks of the Aguagual River on Wednesday and accused Sofia's boyfriend Plutarco Ruiz of killing them the night they went missing a week ago.
Maria Jose, who won the Miss Honduras crown in April, had been due to fly to London on Wednesday to compete in the Miss World pageant.
After forensic analysts in Tegucigalpa examined the sisters' bodies overnight, authorities returned them for a morning funeral service in Santa Barbara, some 200 kilometers (120 miles) from the capital.
Mourners held a dawn vigil for the women Thursday under a white tent outside the family's house.
Under a drizzling rain, a funeral procession then accompanied the caskets to the San Juan Bautista cemetery, where the sisters were buried alongside their father, Oscar.
Their mother, Teresa Munoz, bent over Maria Jose's coffin and broke down in tears.
"It's unspeakable what they did to my granddaughters," said Sotera Munoz, the sisters' 86-year-old grandmother.
"That young man had a sick mind," she told AFP, referring to Ruiz.
According to Honduran media reports, police believe Ruiz, who held a birthday party last Thursday at a resort outside Santa Barbara, flew into a fit of rage when he saw Sofia dancing with another man.
He alllegedly shot her in the head and then her beauty queen sister twice in the back.
Police arrested Ruiz and an alleged accomplice, Aris Maldonado, on Tuesday.
Police said they seized a Colt-45 pistol and two vehicles, including a white pick-up truck allegedly used to transport the sisters' bodies some 20 kilometers from the resort to the spot where they were buried.
Flanked by a heavy police contingent, 32-year-old Ruiz appeared Thursday in a Santa Barbara courthouse for an initial hearing as a suspect in the crime.
On Wednesday, police also arrested the owner of the resort, Ventura Diaz; his wife, Elizabeth Alvarado; and their daughter Irma Nicolle.
"We're interrogating the suspects to see if there were more people involved in trying to cover up the crime," police spokesman Jose Coello told AFP.
Officials have accused Ruiz of taking his pick-up to a garage after burying the sisters and having it cleaned and repainted.
Miss World tribute Sunday
Maria Jose, who turned heads with her gleaming smile and wavy chestnut hair, was in her last year of university at the Northern Polytechnic Institute, where she studied computer science.
She had participated in beauty contests since she was a young girl.
She was also known in Honduras for her work as a model on popular TV game show "X-0."
Organizers of the Miss World pageant, which begins Saturday, said they were "devastated" by the loss of "two young women who were so full of life."
They have announced a tribute Sunday in honor of the slain sisters, and said they planned to donate money to a children's home in Honduras in their memory.
Honduras, a poor country of eight million people, has the world's highest homicide rate, at 90.4 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2012.
The United Nations' special rapporteur on violence against women, Rashida Manjoo, warned in July that violence against women was on the rise in Honduras, with a 263.4-percent increase in the number of females killed violently between 2005 and 2013.
AFP
Fri Nov 21 2014
Teresa Munoz cries over the coffin of her daughter, former Miss Honduras World Maria Jose Alvarado, 19, on November 20, 2014 in Santa Barbara. - AFP PHOTO/Orlando SIERRA
How quickly can Trump's Musk-led efficiency panel slash US regulations?
Moves by Trump and his appointees to eliminate existing rules will be met with legal challenges, as many progressive groups and Democratic officials have made clear.
2TM: Consultations on PTPTN loans, admission to IPTA at MOHE booth
Consultations on PTPTN loans and admission to IPTA are among services provided at the Higher Education Ministry booth.
Kampung Tanjung Kala residents affected by flooded bridge every time it rains heavily
Almost 200 residents from 60 homes in Kampung Tanjung Kala have ended up stuck when their 200-metre (m) long concrete bridge flooded.
COP29 climate summit draft proposes rich countries pay $250 billion per year
The draft finance deal criticised by both developed and developing nations.
Bomb squad sent to London's Gatwick Airport after terminal evacuation
This was following the discovery of a suspected prohibited item in luggage.
Kelantan urges caution amidst northeast monsoon rains
Kelantan has reminded the public in the state to refrain from outdoor activities with the arrival of the Northeast Monsoon season.
Former New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern receives UN leadership award
Former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern was given a global leadership award by the United Nations Foundation.
ICC'S arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant an apt decision - PM
The decision of the ICC to issue arrest warrants against Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant is apt, said Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
KTMB provides two additional ETS trains for Christmas, school holidays
KTMB will provide two additional ETS trains for the KL Sentral-Padang Besar route and return trips in conjunction with the holidays.
BNM'S international reserves rise to USD118 bil as at Nov 15, 2024
Malaysia's international reserves rose to US$118.0 billion as at Nov 15, 2024, up from US$117.6 billion on Oct 30, 2024.
Findings by dark energy researchers back Einstein's conception of gravity
The findings announced are part of a years-long study of the history of the cosmos focusing upon dark energy.
NRES responds to Rimbawatch press release on COP29
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) wishes to offer the following clarifications to the issues raised.
Online Safety Bill and Anti-Cyberbullying Laws must carefully balance rights and protections
The Online Safety Advocacy Group (OSAG) stands united with people in Malaysia in the fight against serious online harms.
Malaysia's inflation at 1.9 pct in Oct 2024 - DOSM
Malaysia's inflation rate for October 2024 has increased to 1.9 per cent, up from 1.8 per cent in September this year.
Saudi Arabia showcases Vision 2030 goals at Airshow China 2024
For the first time, Saudi Arabia is participating in the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition held recently in Zhuhai.
King Charles' coronation cost GBP 71mil, govt accounts show
The coronation of Britain's King Charles cost taxpayers GBP72 million (US$90 million), official accounts have revealed.
Couple and associate charged with trafficking 51.9 kg of meth
A married couple and a man were charged in the Magistrate's Court here today with trafficking 51.974 kilogrammes of Methamphetamine.
PDRM to consult AGC in completing Teoh Beng Hock investigation
The police may seek new testimony from existing witnesses for additional insights into the investigation of Teoh Beng Hock's death.
Thai court rejects petition over ex-PM Thaksin's political influence
Thailand's Constitutional Court rejects a petition seeking to stop Thaksin Shinawatra from interfering in the running the Pheu Thai party.
Abidin takes oath of office as Sungai Bakap assemblyman
The State Assemblyman for Sungai Bakap, Abidin Ismail, was sworn in today at the State Assembly building, Lebuh Light.