A Oaxaca court handed down a 66-year-eight-month prison term to a man who killed his wife in 2020 and hid her body in a backyard well in San Andrés Zautla. The case moved from a missing-person report to a femicide conviction after forensic work and witness evidence. The length of the sentence reflects Oaxaca’s penalties for femicide, plus an increase when the victim and perpetrator were spouses. The ruling comes as authorities tout fewer femicides in 2024 while advocates warn many killings still go unpunished.
Oaxaca femicide sentence
Oaxaca’s prosecutor announced a 66-year-eight-month sentence against Eduardo Javier A.M. for the aggravated femicide of his wife, identified as N.B.G.N. The crime occurred in San Andrés Zautla, in the Etla district of the Valles Centrales region.
According to the case file, the killing happened September 17–18, 2020 at the couple’s home on 5 de Mayo street. After the attack, the man disposed of the body in a well behind the house. The victim was reported missing and later found dead on October 1, 2020.
What the court found
The court convicted him of aggravated femicide, based on the prosecution’s evidence and gender-based analysis. The judgment also orders a fine and payment for reparación del daño.
Local outlets echoed the prosecutor’s account, noting the body’s recovery from the well and the timeline from disappearance to discovery.
How Oaxaca punishes femicide
Oaxaca law sets 50 to 60 years for femicide, with up to one-third more when the aggressor had a relationship of trust or marriage with the victim. A 66-year-eight-month term matches a 50-year base plus that increase, consistent with the code’s aggravating clause.
Mexico’s federal code defines femicide at the national level; Oaxaca’s code details state penalties and aggravators that judges weigh at sentencing.
Why this case matters in Oaxaca
The state government says Oaxaca recorded 20 femicides in 2024, citing federal crime statistics. Officials frame that as a decline from recent years, though the broader debate over classification and impunity continues.
At the national level, federal data show ongoing femicide investigations this year. Monthly SESNSP reports track victims and rates by state, providing the baseline for state claims and comparisons.
The local context
San Andrés Zautla is a small municipality in the Etla district of the Valles Centrales. That context matters: rural and semi-urban communities often rely on state units in the capital for specialized forensic work and victim services.
Families in these cases often face lengthy waits from the disappearance to the trial. Advocates press authorities to improve early searches, evidence collection, and protection for survivors who come forward. (Context based on official statistics and recent statewide reports.)
