PUERTO VALLARTA – This Monday morning, a gruesome discovery of a half-buried body was made on a property located adjacent to the home of Ruben Michel, a young man who has been missing since May 25. Michel, a deaf-mute member of the LGBTQ+ community, vanished following the Vallarta Pride event.
Municipal Police were alerted to the grim find via a 911 call directing them to 18 de Marzo Street, located between 10 de Mayo and Palmarreal in the 12 de Octubre neighborhood. On the scene, officers made contact with the caller, who claimed ownership of both the property where the body was found and the residence of the missing Michel.
After verifying the presence of the body, the police called for an ambulance to comply with standard protocols, set up a security cordon around the area, and notified the Prosecutor’s Office about the find. It remains unclear if the discovered body is that of Ruben Michel, and authorities will need to wait for personnel from the Jalisco Institute of Forensic Sciences to perform necessary evaluations before a definitive identity can be ascertained.
Background on Michel’s Disappearance
On May 29, four days after Michel’s disappearance, police were alerted about the presence of blood in Michel’s home. This was reported by the young man’s family, who traveled from Tepic after becoming concerned about his uncharacteristic silence.
When they arrived at the intersection of 18 de Marzo and 10 de Mayo in the 12 de Octubre neighborhood, police spoke with Michel’s distraught mother. She revealed that a neighbor had seen blood at her son’s residence, which had raised alarms due to his unexplained absence. This information prompted the family’s journey to Puerto Vallarta for verification.
Authorities subsequently sought and obtained authorization for a forced entry into Michel’s home. The Special Prosecutor for Missing Persons took the lead, supported by experts. Inside, they confirmed the presence of blood, but Michel himself was nowhere to be found. The discovery launched an investigation into the young man’s sudden disappearance.
This Monday, the Prosecutor’s Office continues its investigation into the identity of the newly found body, with the hope of shedding light on the case of the missing young man, Ruben Michel.
