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Human sacrifice and a spring break gone wrong

September 07, 2019 / 01:07:42

This episode covers the tragic disappearance and murder of Mark Kilroy, a University of Texas student, during Spring Break 1989. Key topics include the events leading to his abduction in Matamoros, Mexico, the subsequent investigation, and the involvement of a drug-related cult.

Mark Kilroy traveled to South Padre Island with friends for Spring Break. After a night out in Matamoros, he went missing, prompting his friends to report him to the authorities. Despite initial assumptions that he would return, the situation escalated as his family became involved.

Investigators uncovered a cult led by Adolfo Constanzo, who believed in human sacrifices for power. Mark was abducted by cult members, tortured, and murdered as part of a ritual. The shocking details of his death and the cult's activities were revealed during the investigation.

The episode discusses the aftermath of Mark's murder, including the discovery of multiple bodies at the cult's ranch and the eventual arrests of its members. The Kilroy family became advocates against drug violence, establishing a foundation in Mark's memory.

Through interviews and archival audio, the episode highlights the impact of Mark's case on both families and communities, shedding light on the broader issues of drug-related violence in Mexico.

TL;DR

Mark Kilroy was abducted and murdered by a drug cult during Spring Break 1989, leading to a shocking investigation and advocacy against drug violence.

Episode

1:07:42
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[Music]
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our episodes deal with serious and often
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distressing incidents if you feel at
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anytime you need support please contact
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your local crisis center for suggested
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phone numbers for confidential support
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please see the show notes for this
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episode on your app or on our website 21
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year old University of Texas student
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Mark Kilroy Was excited about Spring
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Break 1989 had been a busy year for the
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pre-med student and he was looking
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forward to some downtime before taking
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his upcoming Medical College Admission
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Test Mark had made plans with three old
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high school friends to head to South
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Padre Island on the southern coastal tip
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of Texas a trip he had made for Spring
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Break twice before bordered by the Gulf
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of Mexico to the east and to the long
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shallow Laguna Madre to the west South
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Padre Island boasts a warm subtropical
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climate typical of the area after
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sustaining severe damage from hurricane
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Beulah in 1967 the islands town was
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rebuilt with resorts and condos cropping
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up along the coastline a tourism boom in
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the late 1980s established South Padre
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Island as a popular vacation destination
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especially for young Spring Breakers
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in March 1989 alone the island's
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population rose from 1,000 to 250,000 as
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students from all over the United States
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arrived for a week of beachside party
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mark Kilroy and his friend Bradley Moore
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had been discussing Spring Break since
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the beginning of the fall semester the
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pair attended different Texas based
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universities but maintained their
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friendship by phoning each other at
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least twice a week on Friday March 10
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Bradley picked Marc up from his campus
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in Austin to begin their journey to
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Padre Island they dange collected bill
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Huddleston and Brett Martin all four
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were longtime friends having played
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basketball and baseball together in high
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school
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before disbanding after graduation they
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hadn't seen much of each other since and
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the trip afforded them a long awaited
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catch-up during the four-hour drive to
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the island they discussed their upcoming
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plans for the summer and reflected on
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how it would likely be their last time
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in Texas together the group checked in
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to the Sheraton Hotels and Resorts
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around mid-morning
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on Saturday March 11 spring break had
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only just begun and the hotel was still
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quiet but staff had removed the
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furniture in the lobby in preparation
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for the influx of students their first
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two days were spent at the beach behind
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their hotel taking advantage of the free
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entertainment on offer including
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concerts movies and parties four days
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into the break on Tuesday March 14
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lieutenant George capito was on duty at
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the Brownsville sheriff's office in
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southern Texas when three young men
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arrived wanting to speak to somebody
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about one of their friends
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Bradley more Bill Huddleston and Brett
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Martin informed the lieutenant that Mark
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Kilroy was missing
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[Music]
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on the second night of their vacation
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marks group ventured to the city of
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Madame Morros in northeastern Mexico
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located in the state of Tamaulipas
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on the bank of the Rio Grande River
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Madame Oros is directly across the
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border from the city of Brownsville on
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the southernmost tip of Texas with a
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population of over a million people
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Madame Morros was a hotspot for drug
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trafficking but was considered a safe
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destination for travelers the area
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offered cheap alcohol and elack's
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drinking laws during America's youth to
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the festive local bars nightclubs and
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restaurants moving between Brownsville
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and Matamoros required crossing over the
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Rio Grande via the Gateway International
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Bridge an official port of entry along
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the two country's borders on Sunday
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March 12 1989 mark Kilroy and his crew
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drove to Brownsville where they left
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their car before walking across the
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Gateway International Bridge into Mexico
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they spent the night socializing at
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sergeant Pepper's night club until
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around 2:30 a.m. when they returned to
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Texas and made their way back to South
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Padre Island the group decided to
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venture back to Matamoros the following
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night of Monday March 13 the city was a
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hive of activity with approximately
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15,000 spring breakers traversing the
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crowded main streets the four friends
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wandered down the first thoroughfare
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after the bridge the nightclub lined
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Avenida alvaro obregon
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bill Huddleston described to the area it
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was like an amusement park but without
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the rides
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it was one big thrill the energy that
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was created by thousands and thousands
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of students they entered the bar with
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the shortest line our front lost
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sombreros then headed to the Hard Rock
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Cafe where mark met some girls and
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separated from his friends the crowds
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were dispersing by 2:00 a.m. and Bill
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suggested to Bradley and Brent that
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they'd go back to their hotel
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the trio exited the bar and spotted mark
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talking to a girl he had befriended on
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South Padre Island two days earlier he
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rejoined to the group as they slowly
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made their way down the few blocks
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towards the Gateway International Bridge
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the four tried to stay close to one
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another in a shoulder-to-shoulder
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formation but inevitably split into
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pairs as they navigated the thousands of
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intoxicated students moving aimlessly
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around the streets Bradley and Brent
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were ahead with Bill and Mark a few
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yards behind when they reached the front
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of Garcia's a one-story red and gray
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brick building that served as a local
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watering hole and gift shop mark stopped
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to say goodbye to the girl he'd been
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speaking to as bill ran off to find
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somewhere secluded to urinate when bill
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reemerged
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mark was nowhere to be seen assuming he
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must have continued onwards bill reached
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the bridge where Bradley and Brent were
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waiting they called out for mark but he
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didn't appear they were immediately
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concerned mark wasn't the type to
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abandon the group or go elsewhere where
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they are telling them thinking mark may
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have already crossed the bridge his
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friends returned to Brownsville but he
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wasn't waiting by their car as
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anticipated
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after waiting several minutes they
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headed back into Matamoros to search for
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him they scale at the nightclubs and
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bars until 4:30 a.m. by which point the
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streets were mostly empty but they
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couldn't find mark anywhere
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the trio drove back to South Padre
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Island hoping he had returned to their
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hotel on his own but there was no sign
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of him there either the group considered
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the possibility that mark had been
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thrown in jail and returned to Matamoros
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the following day to check the local
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police stations but to no avail
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officers expressed that little concern
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as visiting students were often reported
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missing while partying in town but
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typically reappeared unharmed a few days
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later with nothing more than a hangover
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certain this wasn't the case with mark
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his friends went back to Brownsville to
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speak with police there lieutenant
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George Gavita
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suggested that mark may have left with
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the girl he had spent the night talking
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to but his friends insisted he was not
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that type of person and would never
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leave without telling them his plans
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lieutenant give itto filed a
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missing-persons report
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and Bill Brandt and Bradley visited the
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US consulate while intermittently
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returning to their hotel to check if
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Mark had returned
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when Mark hadn't shown up by 11 p.m. on
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Tuesday night they contacted his parents
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James and Helen the Kilroy family were
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close-knit with Mark the oldest of two
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sons
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bill Huddleston recalled feeling a
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tremendous sense of loss breaking the
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news as the reality of the situation
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sunk in mark's unexplained if
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disappearance was of great concern to
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his parents as their clean-cut firstborn
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was not a big partier nor was he allude
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for careless but a leader who always
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gave 110 percent he excelled both
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academically and athletically as a
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former Boy Scout on his student and
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student council member who was skilled
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at basketball baseball and golf
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following high school mark earned a
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basketball scholarship that he put aside
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to focus on his goal to become a general
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practice doctor his former high school
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basketball coach Terry Ray stated you
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always knew whatever he was doing out
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there if it was mark it would be okay
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Mark's uncle worked at the u.s. custom
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service in Los Angeles and too used his
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connections to draw more attention to
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his nephews disappearance a task force
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the front the search was established in
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Brownsville despite American police
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having no jurisdiction to investigate in
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Mexico Mexican police attempted to shift
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blame by alleging mark had disappeared
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in Texas even though his friends firmly
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denied these claims realizing the
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incident may discourage Spring Breakers
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from returning to Matamoros government
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officials pressured local police to act
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within 48 hours of Mark's disappearance
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the Mexican federal and state judicial
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police joined the u.s. task force as
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investigators on both sides of the
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border checked hotels hospitals jails
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and to morgues after three days of
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unsuccessful searching Mark's friends
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were asked to reenact the events leading
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to his disappearance as the last one to
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have seen mark bill Huddleston was
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placed under hypnosis to see if his
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subconscious memory had retained any key
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detail
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he described walking past the Garcias
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and citing a Hispanic male with a cut on
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his cheek and wearing a blue plaid shirt
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the stranger motioned to mark in English
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and he stopped to talk later bill told
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The Washington Post the newspaper that
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he heard the men ask hey don't I know
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you from somewhere
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bill clarified it was just a glimpse I
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don't even know if Mark entered him
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[Music]
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within days Texan newspapers were
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reporting on the baffling case the
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kilroy family offered a $5,000 reward
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for information with the James and Helen
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voicing concerns that their son may have
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been abducted
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Helen explained I'm extremely worried
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about him because he's pretty
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responsible being the person that he is
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he would have contacted us or his
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friends mark was of legal drinking age
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and had joined his friends in consuming
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alcohol but he had no interest in drugs
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a devout Catholic he took his faith
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seriously often carrying a Bible that
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he'd read between studying although
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outgoing and fun he was cautious and
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safe Brent Martin quote I've known the
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guy ever since kindergarten he wouldn't
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go off and just not call us he's really
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smart that's why this whole thing is so
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weird because as smart as he is he would
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figure out a way to get in touch with us
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police were starting to suspect mark may
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have been attacked robbed or fallen
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victim to drug-related violence and
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checked madam Morris's shantytowns and
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colonias known for their high crime
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rates bill Huddleston's hypnosis induced
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memories led some to theorize mark had
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been murdered as part of a botched
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kidnapping for ransom plot as many
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tourists were still coming and going
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from the city a
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these were urged to solve the case
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quickly to ensure no one else fell
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victim to a similar fate
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James Kilroy arrived in Brownsville
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spending long hours each day speaking
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with investigators developing strong
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connections with local reporters and
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handing out missing-person flyers in
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South Padre and Matamoros assisted by
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volunteers
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Ellen Kilroy remained by their home
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phone in nearby Santa Fe in case it rang
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with any news convinced that her son was
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being held against his will she felt a
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haunting sense that he was being harmed
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every time she read her Bible quote I've
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really felt strongly that somehow he's
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being hurt right now I kept the reading
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that nothing is impossible with God
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I feel like Mark's going to come back to
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us whoever has him I just don't want
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them to be so frightened that they would
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fatally hurt mark we don't have any
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anger toward that person we just want
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Mark back with everyone praying like
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this I don't see how the Lord can refuse
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us by Saturday March 18 ad off is's were
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involved in the search a police
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helicopter skiing to the banks of the
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Rio Grande River as officers in
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four-wheel drives combed the brush
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covered countryside on both sides of the
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border 15 criminals known to operate in
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the area were questioned including
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pickpockets and drug dealers possible
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links to other crimes committed over the
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spring-break period were examined
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including the murder of a Mexican truck
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driver the abduction and sexual assault
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of a young American woman and the
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violent robbery of another student all
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of which occurred within five blocks of
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the Gateway International Bridge
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in Brownsville fundraisers increased the
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reward pool to $15,000 which was a
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significant amount in Matamoros
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when daily wages averaged around two to
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three dollars but despite the reward and
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investigative efforts leads were already
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drying up almost two weeks after mark
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vanished his disappearance was featured
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in a ten-minute segment of Fox
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television's America's Most Wanted that
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was broadcast in the u.s. sent to Mexico
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generating a total of 2,000 calls from
00:16:40
the public a Mexican woman called to
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implicate her boyfriend and Madame
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morose police officer who spoke of
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arresting a drunk American fitting
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Marc's description after a failed
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attempt to extort money from the
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American the officer shot him as police
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corruption was a serious problem in
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Mexico
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investigators honed in on an officer
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with ties to the criminal underworld but
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he was ultimately ruled out calls placed
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Marc at various Mexican beaches while
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some saw him in the company of a woman
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and others claimed he was restrained
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investigators noticed that references to
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occult rituals and sacrifices kept
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cropping up including a letter delivered
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to police that was covered in
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scribblings of pentagrams and other
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symbols it featured a single sentence in
00:17:35
Spanish that translated to Marc was not
00:17:39
the first Helen Kilroy received a
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collect call from a man identifying
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himself as Danny claiming to have seen
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Marc at a drug dealers house in the city
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of Houston Texas
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Danny demanded $10,000 for all the
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information he knew Helen agreed and
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arranged to meet him outside a gas
00:18:02
station at 5:00 p.m. the following day
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covert police officers overseeing their
00:18:08
exchange noted several suspicious people
00:18:11
milling around but Danny did not
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approach
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another call came later that night this
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time from a man calling himself Jr who
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had noticed the police presence at the
00:18:23
drop site a second exchange was arranged
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for the next day at a nearby cemetery Jr
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threatened to cut off marks fingers and
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send them to Helen if the police were
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notified this time at 5:00 p.m. on April
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6 Helen went to the cemetery as arranged
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once again
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under covert surveillance but no one
00:18:47
came forward to collect the ransom
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investigators traced the calls to phones
00:18:53
inside the Galveston County Jail in
00:18:56
Texas they were positioned in the souls
00:18:59
of two inmates Robert Miller and a
00:19:01
Wilton Smith and were only supposed to
00:19:04
be used to contact family and attorneys
00:19:06
both men were serving time for burglary
00:19:09
and Miller had previously been charged
00:19:12
with extortion after attempting to scam
00:19:14
money from the family of missing
00:19:16
teenager Shelley Sikes who had
00:19:18
disappeared three years earlier assured
00:19:23
by government officials that efforts to
00:19:25
find his son would persist James Kilroy
00:19:28
returned home mayor Jack long encouraged
00:19:32
sin FA residents to wear yellow ribbons
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in support of the Kilroy family with
00:19:37
benefits auctions garage sales and bake
00:19:40
sales held to increase the reward pool
00:19:43
u.s. customs agent or an neck told the
00:19:47
media this is definitely one of the most
00:19:50
difficult cases I've ever dealt with
00:19:52
there appears to be no motive no nothing
00:19:56
on Saturday April 1 police in madam
00:20:04
morose set up a routine traffic stop on
00:20:06
Mexican Federal Highway two to check
00:20:09
passing cars for narcotics in the late
00:20:13
afternoon a red pickup truck traveling
00:20:16
from Texas sped through the checkpoint
00:20:18
with the young dark-haired driver
00:20:20
ignoring the signs and armed officers
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alerting vehicles to pull over
00:20:25
one of the officers recognized the
00:20:28
pickup's driver as a regular at bars
00:20:30
downtown 20 year-old Seraphin Hernandez
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Rivera described as a loud mouthed punk
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the Hernandez family had been in the
00:20:41
drug trade for over a decade and had
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ties to powerful dealers but were only
00:20:46
considered mid-level smugglers
00:20:48
themselves
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Seraphin was a US citizen and lived in
00:20:52
Brownsville where his father ran the
00:20:55
American side of their operations
00:20:56
including the transportation of a
00:20:59
thousand pounds of marijuana from Mexico
00:21:01
each week he was close to his Matamoros
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based Dunkel 22 year-old Elio Hernandez
00:21:09
Rivera the organization's leader
00:21:13
undercover officers in an unmarked
00:21:16
police vehicle tailed Seraphin 20 miles
00:21:18
west arriving at a small cattle ranch
00:21:21
titled Rancho Santa Helena they pulled
00:21:25
off the main road and kept a watch from
00:21:27
a distance when Seraphin left the
00:21:30
property 30 minutes later they drove
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down the half mile long dirt driveway
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and pulled up to a large corrugated
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steel warehouse with a red-brown
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wooden shack to its left pens for
00:21:42
livestock and a number of new and
00:21:44
high-end cars and trucks parked out the
00:21:47
front a man approached and introduced
00:21:51
himself as Domingo the ranchers
00:21:53
caretaker the officers pretended they
00:21:56
were lost tenth in need of directions as
00:22:00
one spoke with Domingo another got out
00:22:03
and examined a blue Chevrolet Suburban
00:22:05
SUV that was parked nearby
00:22:07
it was fitted with a car phone which was
00:22:10
a luxury feature in 1989 and contained
00:22:14
traces of marijuana there was also a
00:22:17
cement statue in the vehicle with an
00:22:20
evil looking pointed head and facial
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features made of seashells sensing the
00:22:26
caretaker was becoming nervous the
00:22:28
officers left the scene
00:22:31
although they had been under the
00:22:33
impression the Hernandez family's drug
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smuggling Network was on the wane the
00:22:38
expensive vehicles that the ranch led
00:22:40
police to believe they were back in
00:22:42
business
00:22:43
the property was put under surveillance
00:22:45
and agents were sent out to determine
00:22:48
the group's activities size and
00:22:50
connections meanwhile the statue in the
00:22:54
blue Chevrolet was identified as a leg
00:22:57
wha
00:22:57
a god from Paulo enough Rho cubed
00:23:00
religion devoted to earthly powers and
00:23:02
the worship of spirits Allegro was
00:23:06
considered a trickster and a deity of
00:23:08
the roads worshippers believed making
00:23:11
offerings to him would protect them on
00:23:13
their travels just over a week later on
00:23:20
Sunday April 9 police stormed rancho
00:23:24
santa elena and found 64 pounds of
00:23:27
marijuana and several firearms Seraphin
00:23:30
his uncle Elio and two other men david
00:23:34
cirno valdez and sergio martinez salinas
00:23:37
were placed under arrest for drug
00:23:39
trafficking the four men were
00:23:42
interrogated into the early hours but
00:23:45
each maintained relaxed demeanors and
00:23:47
refused to answer questions the ranch's
00:23:51
caretaker domingo Bustamante arrived for
00:23:54
work that morning unaware that his
00:23:56
employers had been arrested when
00:23:59
questioned by police Domingo said
00:24:02
roughly three to four weeks prior a tall
00:24:05
blond haired a young man was in the back
00:24:07
of the blue Chevrolet Suburban bound and
00:24:10
blindfolded the captives spoke English
00:24:13
which Domingo couldn't understand as he
00:24:16
only spoke Spanish he was kept in the
00:24:19
vehicle overnight and feeling sorry for
00:24:21
him Domingo fed him and gave him water
00:24:25
the bosses thought the prisoner away in
00:24:28
the morning and Domingo didn't know what
00:24:30
happened to him after that when shown a
00:24:33
photo of Mark Kilroy Domingo stated yes
00:24:38
that's him
00:24:40
following this revelation police
00:24:43
intensive
00:24:44
their interrogations of the four men in
00:24:46
custody until Seraphin finally cracked
00:24:49
he explained that the group belonged to
00:24:52
a religious sect led by a cuban-american
00:24:55
sorcerer named Adolfo DeJesus Constanzo
00:24:59
referred to as their Godfather over the
00:25:03
previous month's Constanzo had ordered
00:25:05
his followers to conduct several
00:25:07
sacrificial rituals believing they would
00:25:10
bring strength abundance immunity from
00:25:12
injury and protection from law
00:25:14
enforcement in a calm and deadpan manner
00:25:19
Seraphin revealed that Mark Kilroy had
00:25:22
been killed as part of these rituals
00:25:24
quote it was our religion el voodoo
00:25:35
the following day of Tuesday April 11
00:25:38
investigators from Mexico and the United
00:25:41
States descended on rancho santa elena
00:25:45
they escorted seraphim to the property
00:25:48
whose ongoing relaxed demeanor earth to
00:25:51
mexican officers who beat him with their
00:25:53
clubs and pants believing he lacked
00:25:55
remorse or fear of consequences
00:26:00
investigators approached the wooden
00:26:02
shack alongside the warehouse and were
00:26:05
met with the stench of death the Mexican
00:26:09
police expressed hesitancy to go inside
00:26:11
due to their fear of witchcraft
00:26:14
superstition and belief in the occult
00:26:17
were fairly widespread in Mexico with
00:26:19
people from all backgrounds believing in
00:26:22
witches shamans and sorcerers as well as
00:26:25
negative auras curses and spells Purves
00:26:29
potions charms and magical amulets were
00:26:32
sold in markets and rituals were
00:26:35
performed to cure will repel a variety
00:26:37
of afflictions and dilemmas
00:26:41
Seraphin was taken into the shack where
00:26:44
officers found two lit candles on the
00:26:46
floor indicating that someone had been
00:26:49
inside as recently as that morning near
00:26:53
the candles for kettles contained a dead
00:26:55
rooster a goat's head a turtle coins
00:26:58
twigs and an Allegro statue the floor
00:27:03
was littered with tequila bottles coins
00:27:05
half smoked cigars and chili peppers
00:27:09
dried blood was spattered everywhere and
00:27:12
two bloody wires hung from a beam above
00:27:15
which Seraphim explained were used to
00:27:18
hold people by their wrists while their
00:27:20
blood was drained
00:27:21
[Music]
00:27:23
annoyin courtrand sat in the center of
00:27:26
the room later identified as an in Ganga
00:27:28
a religious receptacle central to the
00:27:31
Paulo religion believed to be inhabited
00:27:34
by a spirit of the dead who acts as a
00:27:36
guide for all ceremonies performed with
00:27:39
the young Ganga the rancho santa elena
00:27:43
and Ganga was filled with what was
00:27:45
described as a soup made from sticks a
00:27:48
goat's head chicken feet bones a turtle
00:27:52
herbs a horseshoe coins blood strands of
00:27:57
hair and what appeared to be human
00:28:00
remains
00:28:03
Seraphin said Mark Kilroy brains were in
00:28:07
the pot the Mexican investigators forced
00:28:12
him to drag it outside and to then
00:28:14
immediately conducted a ceremony to
00:28:16
drive away the evil spirits firing their
00:28:19
machine guns into the air before rushing
00:28:21
into the shack to destroy its contents
00:28:23
dousing everything in holy water
00:28:28
American investigators were stunned by
00:28:30
the actions of their Mexican
00:28:32
counterparts and their lack of concern
00:28:34
for maintaining the integrity of the
00:28:36
crime scene or photographing it before
00:28:38
its destruction but were reluctant to
00:28:41
intervene after the shacks contents had
00:28:47
been destroyed the police asked Sarafine
00:28:50
where mark was buried he gestured to a
00:28:53
spot in one of the livestock pens and
00:28:55
said over there in the corner
00:29:00
protruding two to three feet out of the
00:29:03
dirt was a long piece of wire which
00:29:06
Seraphin claimed was attached to marks
00:29:08
bond or cord so that once his body had
00:29:11
decomposed they would be able to pull it
00:29:13
out and wear it as a necklace surfing
00:29:17
was handed a shovel and forced the dig
00:29:20
up marks remains himself as he worked he
00:29:24
remarked I don't know why they're making
00:29:27
such a big deal of this one here there's
00:29:30
another guy buried over there and
00:29:32
another guy buried over there when asked
00:29:37
to clarify this statement Sarafine
00:29:40
responded oh yeah we have other people
00:29:44
buried out here
00:29:46
[Music]
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markku Roy's mouth had been taped shut
00:35:23
and there was a gaping wound to the rear
00:35:25
of his skull which had been emptied of
00:35:27
brain matter his legs had been severed
00:35:30
at the knees
00:35:31
Seraphin explained this was to make
00:35:33
burial easier investigators noticed
00:35:37
other lumps of dirt throughout the pens
00:35:39
and soon realized they were standing in
00:35:41
the midst of a killing field the four
00:35:45
suspects were forced to dig up the
00:35:47
remaining bodies at gunpoint with
00:35:49
officers telling them you'll do it with
00:35:52
your hands if you have to a press
00:35:55
conference was held in Brownsville where
00:35:57
County Sheriff Alex Perez explained it
00:36:01
was horrible it was like a human
00:36:04
slaughterhouse lieutenant George Gavita
00:36:08
added I've been an investigator for 15
00:36:11
years and it's one of the worst things
00:36:14
I've ever seen in total seven victims
00:36:18
were uncovered in the pen and six more
00:36:21
throughout the property all were male
00:36:24
and had been severely mutilated several
00:36:27
had been skinned and one was charred a
00:36:31
second farm owned by the Hernandez
00:36:33
family called Rancho Lost Leonys located
00:36:36
two miles south was also searched
00:36:39
resulting in the discovery of two more
00:36:41
bodies within 48 hours of news breaking
00:36:46
about the mass grave all the hotel rooms
00:36:49
and rental cars in the Rio Grande Valley
00:36:51
were booked out as reporters from across
00:36:53
the world flocked to cover the story
00:36:57
journalists described to those involved
00:36:59
a satanic drug smugglers and cannibals
00:37:02
reporting that the cauldron in the shack
00:37:04
was used to prepare brains hearts and
00:37:07
other organs for consumption on
00:37:10
Wednesday April 12 the four accused
00:37:13
surfing Hernandez Garcia Elio Hernandez
00:37:16
Rivera David Serna Valdez and Sergio
00:37:20
Martinez Salinas were paraded across a
00:37:23
balcony at the Mexican federal judicial
00:37:25
police headquarters in Matamoros
00:37:28
the informal press conference turned
00:37:31
into a raucous affair as the men fielded
00:37:34
questions from the hundreds of
00:37:35
international reporters gathered below
00:37:38
Elio explained they acted because of
00:37:41
their religion describing himself as his
00:37:44
Colts ordained executioner priest a
00:37:47
police officer pulled down a Leo's shirt
00:37:50
revealing carvings across his arms chest
00:37:53
and back which Elio said represented his
00:37:56
license to kill the perpetrators
00:37:59
sincerely believed their rituals had
00:38:02
made them impervious to the police with
00:38:04
Sarafine challenging an officer to shoot
00:38:06
him then and there
00:38:07
quote go ahead your bullets will just
00:38:12
bounce off arrest warrants were issued
00:38:17
for other alleged cult members including
00:38:20
its ringleader 26 year old Adolfo
00:38:23
DeJesus Constanzo her paper trail
00:38:26
revealed that the morning after Serafina
00:38:28
and his co-accused were taken into
00:38:30
custody Constanzo and three of his
00:38:33
followers boarded a flight from Texas to
00:38:35
Mexico City but their current
00:38:37
whereabouts were unknown Constanzo was
00:38:42
born and raised in Miami by his Cuban
00:38:45
mother Dalia throughout his childhood
00:38:48
Constanzo traveled with his mother to
00:38:50
Haiti where he learned about and
00:38:52
developed an interest in food ooh by age
00:38:56
14 he apprenticed a local practitioner
00:38:59
of my embarr a branch of the paulo
00:39:01
religion considered to be the world's
00:39:04
most powerful and feared form of black
00:39:06
magic
00:39:07
constanzo's neighbors in Miami who fell
00:39:10
foul of the family started finding
00:39:12
headless goats and chickens on their
00:39:14
doorsteps believed to have been left by
00:39:16
Dahlia who they suspected to be a witch
00:39:20
Constanzo eventually relocated to Mexico
00:39:23
City where he pursued modeling work
00:39:25
while supporting himself financially by
00:39:27
reading tarot cards he amassed followers
00:39:31
from all walks of life several of whom
00:39:33
became his lovers
00:39:36
by the time he was in his early 20s
00:39:39
Constanzo had established himself as a
00:39:41
powerful Godfather performing spells for
00:39:44
people down on their luck his customers
00:39:47
included physicians politicians models
00:39:50
film stars and police officers he spells
00:39:55
often required animal sacrifices ranging
00:39:58
from roosters goats and snakes to zebras
00:40:01
and lion cubs the latter cost him
00:40:04
upwards of $3,000
00:40:06
he even raided a graveyard to obtain
00:40:09
human bones to use in his potions
00:40:13
Constanzo had learned from his own
00:40:16
occult godfather who had earned his
00:40:18
riches from drug dealers discovering he
00:40:21
could profit from the foolishness of
00:40:22
others he dedicated himself to spirits
00:40:26
associated with criminals and criminal
00:40:28
activity and began offering drug cartels
00:40:31
spells of protection from rivals and law
00:40:34
enforcement this earned him large
00:40:37
amounts of money and clout in 1987 he
00:40:42
approached one of his biggest clients
00:40:44
requesting to become a full business
00:40:46
partner with a 50% cut of sales when his
00:40:50
request was denied the cartel leader and
00:40:53
six of his family members and associates
00:40:55
were found floating in the Rio de San
00:40:57
Pongo canal with multiple body parts
00:40:59
missing including toes ears parts
00:41:03
testicles brains and in one case a spine
00:41:09
in July 1987 Constanzo met a college
00:41:14
student named Sara Aldrete who had
00:41:16
romantic the links to drug dealers and
00:41:18
soon indoctrinated the 22 year old into
00:41:21
his religious practices Aldrete his
00:41:25
classmates noticed the dramatic shift in
00:41:27
her personality as the otherwise polite
00:41:30
straight-a student had seemingly become
00:41:32
an expert on witchcraft and black magic
00:41:34
overnight
00:41:36
she started wearing black clothing and
00:41:38
preaching the powers of darkness and
00:41:41
delight at her parents house in
00:41:44
Matamoros she decorated her bedroom with
00:41:47
occult paraphernalia including an altar
00:41:49
she prayed before every night Constanzo
00:41:54
made our dritt a a high priestess and
00:41:56
his second-in-command the godmother of
00:41:59
his cult and in November that year she
00:42:02
put him in touch with the Hernandez
00:42:04
family the Hernandez family turned to
00:42:11
Constanzo following the murder of their
00:42:14
ringleader Sol Hernandez Rivera who had
00:42:17
been gunned down presumably by rival
00:42:19
drug dealers Constanzo told the family
00:42:23
that dedicating themselves to Palo
00:42:25
Mayombe would grow their business
00:42:27
eliminate their enemies and make them
00:42:29
invincible to law enforcement in
00:42:32
exchange he required 50% of their
00:42:35
profits and co ownership of the business
00:42:39
they agreed and in early 1989 Elio
00:42:43
Sarafine and several others were
00:42:45
initiated into constanzo's cult
00:42:48
undergoing rituals involving animal
00:42:50
sacrifice business increased
00:42:53
strengthening their belief in the
00:42:55
practice Constanzo moved his
00:42:59
headquarters to Rancho Santa Elena where
00:43:02
the rituals escalated to include human
00:43:04
sacrifices Constanzo told his flock that
00:43:09
mutilation and pain were essential to
00:43:11
palo mayombe and that the spirits he
00:43:14
worshiped would be further appeased if
00:43:16
their sacrifice died in agony he then
00:43:20
introduced sodomy to their list of
00:43:22
torches over a nine-month period the
00:43:27
cult killed mostly rival drug dealers
00:43:29
and others who had crossed them in one
00:43:32
instance they plan to sacrifice a former
00:43:35
member but he pulled out a gun and was
00:43:37
promptly shot dead angered by this
00:43:40
botched ritual Elio ordered his men to
00:43:43
abduct the first person they could find
00:43:45
so the sacrifice could still go ahead
00:43:48
they brought him a boy with a burlap
00:43:51
sack over his head and elio hastily
00:43:53
decapitated him only to discover that it
00:43:57
was his fourteen-year-old cousin in
00:44:01
February 1989 Constanzo stole 800
00:44:05
kilograms of marijuana from a rival gang
00:44:08
to ensure it's safe shipment across the
00:44:11
Rio Grande he ordered another human
00:44:13
sacrifice on Monday March 13 her drug
00:44:18
dealer was taken to rancho santa elena
00:44:21
with each cult member taking turns
00:44:23
cutting and kicking him but their
00:44:26
captive didn't make a sound during the
00:44:28
attack the silence irritated Constanzo
00:44:32
as he believed suffering and pain were
00:44:35
essential to gain power from the ritual
00:44:38
so he started skinning the men alive
00:44:41
when he still refused The Scream
00:44:43
Constanzo executed him with a machete
00:44:46
deeming the sacrifice worthless he
00:44:50
demanded his followers bring him another
00:44:52
victim someone with a good brain that he
00:44:55
could feed to the spirits that lived
00:44:57
inside he's in Gaga to make them smarter
00:45:00
he told his followers bring me someone I
00:45:04
can use someone who will scream at
00:45:13
around 1:30 a.m. on March 14 Serafina
00:45:17
and another cult member drove into
00:45:19
Matamoros and reached the main strip of
00:45:21
Avenida Alvaro Obregon where they
00:45:24
spotted a Mark Kilroy outside of
00:45:26
Garcia's they pulled up alongside him
00:45:29
and asked if he needed a ride
00:45:31
Nach admitted he was drunk and requested
00:45:34
a lift to Brownsville to meet up with
00:45:36
his friends Serafina great and Mark
00:45:40
pawned into the pickup as they
00:45:44
approached the Gateway International
00:45:45
Bridge surfing made a right turn onto a
00:45:49
bumpy road framed by a hood levee that
00:45:52
ran parallel with the Rio Grande
00:45:55
he stopped the car in a parking lot and
00:45:57
Mark was left alone as his two
00:45:59
companions got out to urinate realizing
00:46:03
something wasn't right
00:46:05
Mark scrambled out of the truck and took
00:46:07
off in the direction of the border even
00:46:09
though the levy made it impossible to
00:46:11
cross as he ran david Serna valdez and
00:46:16
sergio martinez salinas arrived
00:46:18
following behind in the blue Chevrolet
00:46:21
Suburban they chased the mark down and
00:46:25
ordered him to freeze telling him he was
00:46:27
under arrest for public intoxication
00:46:30
mark stopped and was bound and
00:46:33
blindfolded with duct tape then forced
00:46:35
into the back of the Chevy by the time
00:46:39
the group returned to the ranch
00:46:41
it was almost 3 a.m. Sarafine gave mark
00:46:45
some crackers and water reassuring him
00:46:47
that nothing was going to happen he then
00:46:51
phoned his godmother Sara Aldrete
00:46:53
telling her we've done what he asked for
00:47:00
early the next morning mark was removed
00:47:04
from the truck and placed in a hammock
00:47:05
between two trees by midday
00:47:08
eight more cult members had arrived to
00:47:11
participate in the sacrificial ceremony
00:47:13
including Constanzo Elio and RJ
00:47:18
Constanzo believed women were bad luck
00:47:20
for worship and as the other men would
00:47:23
be naked during the ritual Aldrete was
00:47:26
required to stay outside mark was taken
00:47:30
into the wooden shack where he was
00:47:31
forced to kneel before Constanza and
00:47:34
endure extreme acts of torture and
00:47:36
sexual assault
00:47:39
surfing claimed he was outside when he
00:47:41
heard a heavy thudding sound akin to the
00:47:44
slicing of a coconut
00:47:45
he was then ordered to go inside the
00:47:48
shack and quote take him out upon
00:47:52
entering he saw mark gilroys naked body
00:47:55
alongside a bloody machete his head
00:47:58
cracked open
00:48:00
surfing could see his brains had been
00:48:02
removed and placed inside the inn Ganga
00:48:05
he alleged Constanzo was the one who
00:48:08
carried out the murder another member
00:48:13
cut at marks heart
00:48:14
holding it up and declaring my soul is
00:48:18
dead I am NOT a human being
00:48:22
Constanza awarded a marks legs to be cut
00:48:25
off and he was buried in a shallow 1
00:48:28
metre deep grave on Saturday April 15
00:48:38
Mark Kilroy Was fair world at his
00:48:40
family's Church Our Lady of Lourdes his
00:48:44
younger brother Keith told the crowd of
00:48:46
1000 mourners mark loved to life he
00:48:51
loved society he was very trusting and
00:48:54
to that same society that he loved so
00:48:57
much has taken him away from us and
00:48:59
because of them we have to spend the
00:49:02
rest of our lives without him Reverend -
00:49:06
John the fork declared Mark's death was
00:49:09
not in vain quote God allows us to see
00:49:13
the ugliness the depraved and the
00:49:16
senseless killing so we might open our
00:49:18
minds and hearts to become an answer to
00:49:20
these horrible problems in the world
00:49:24
the Kilroy family derived comfort
00:49:27
knowing that Mark had time to pray
00:49:29
before his death which had ultimately
00:49:31
put a stop to the senseless killings a
00:49:34
family friend too later told producers
00:49:37
of the documentary deadly cults they
00:49:41
honestly really really felt like
00:49:43
everything happened to her a reason that
00:49:45
this was genuinely God's plan this
00:49:49
happened to mark because without them
00:49:51
finding mark
00:49:52
who knows how long it would have taken
00:49:54
to find all the other bodies mark was
00:49:57
the instrument to show the evil of what
00:50:00
this cult can do mark was laid to rest
00:50:05
in the Mount Olivet Catholic cemetery in
00:50:07
Dickinson Texas with his headstone
00:50:10
reading we are proud of mark and we
00:50:14
thank God for the way mark was and the
00:50:17
way we were when with him mark is with
00:50:20
God do not be sad for mark be sad for
00:50:24
yourselves and us because another good
00:50:27
man is missing from our world he was a
00:50:30
best friend to all the families of other
00:50:34
victims were left equally broken
00:50:37
although many suspected their loved ones
00:50:40
had met with foul play when they
00:50:41
vanished and took the disappearance of
00:50:44
an American tourist before the case
00:50:46
received police and media attention
00:50:49
despite this the parents of the youngest
00:50:52
victim 14-year old Jose Luis Garcia Luna
00:50:56
harbored no resentment Jose's mother
00:51:00
told a reporter for the Brownsville
00:51:01
Herald if it weren't for the Kilroy boy
00:51:05
none of the other men including my son
00:51:09
would ever have been found meanwhile an
00:51:14
international manhunt was underway for
00:51:16
those responsible for the killings with
00:51:19
reported sightings coming from as far
00:51:21
away as Chicago a radio broadcast the
00:51:25
warmth that Sara Aldrete had been
00:51:27
spotted near a school in southern Texas
00:51:29
and had promised to kidnap and murder
00:51:32
ten children for every cult member that
00:51:34
was captured fearful parents kept their
00:51:38
children home from school until the
00:51:40
threat was determined to have arisen
00:51:42
from a prank phone call as the cult had
00:51:46
operations on both sides of the border
00:51:48
it was difficult to determine where
00:51:50
exactly the fugitives were heading
00:51:53
although records showed Constanzo and
00:51:56
his crew had flown from Texas to Mexico
00:51:58
City following the initial arrests
00:52:00
authorities believed the leader was
00:52:03
ultimately heading for his hometown of
00:52:05
Miami
00:52:06
or perhaps to Houston where he had links
00:52:08
to a 20 million dollar cocaine operation
00:52:11
that had been busted the year prior this
00:52:15
speculation was leaked to the press and
00:52:18
printed in newspapers raising concerns
00:52:20
that would cause the fugitives to change
00:52:22
their plans the homes of all members
00:52:26
were searched and in Sara Aldrete s
00:52:29
bedroom police found an altar covered in
00:52:31
black candles with blood spattered
00:52:34
across the wall using information
00:52:37
provided by Elio the police were able to
00:52:40
pinpoint two apartments in Mexico City
00:52:42
that were owned by Constanzo the first
00:52:46
was in a disappearing de Saragosa a
00:52:48
municipality located 15 miles out of the
00:52:52
city
00:52:52
it contained expensive electronics
00:52:55
furniture clothing and to clean altars
00:52:58
to journals found in a desk drawer
00:53:01
detailed the prices of Constanzo spells
00:53:04
along with other indecipherable symbols
00:53:08
the second apartment was in the affluent
00:53:11
Mexico City neighborhood of Colonia Roma
00:53:13
a room at the rear of the property
00:53:16
contained an altar similar to the one at
00:53:19
Rancho Santa Elena cigars peppers and de
00:53:23
liquor bottles were strewn across the
00:53:25
floor into the room rate of death with
00:53:28
bowls containing the remains of chickens
00:53:31
goats and turtles a purse and other
00:53:35
items belonging to Sara Aldrete were
00:53:37
also found leading some to speculate
00:53:40
whether Constanzo had murdered her prior
00:53:42
to fleeing others believed these items
00:53:47
were intentionally left behind to throw
00:53:49
investigators off track police also
00:53:54
found a clothing receipt addressed to
00:53:56
another of the wanted cult members
00:53:58
omorrow Raya
00:54:00
they went to the address listed on the
00:54:03
slip a tall building of luxury condos in
00:54:06
Colonia Roma arriving to a Rhea's
00:54:09
apartment on the tenth floor inside they
00:54:13
called a young woman packing a suitcase
00:54:15
she introduced herself as the sister of
00:54:18
one of the fugitives
00:54:19
saying that Constanzo and his followers
00:54:22
were heading to Miami but investigators
00:54:25
were skeptical that this was a ruse to
00:54:27
divert their attention
00:54:29
a shaman advised the Mexican Federal
00:54:35
Police that destroying constanzo's and
00:54:38
Ganga would take away his power and to
00:54:40
likely lure him out of hiding on Sunday
00:54:44
April 23 a cleansing ritual was carried
00:54:47
out at the wooden shack at Rancho Santa
00:54:49
Elena where a pitcher of Constanzo was
00:54:52
placed inside the inn Ganga bags of salt
00:54:55
were sprinkled on the floor and the
00:54:57
gasoline was splashed on the walls
00:54:59
an agent lit a torch and threw it inside
00:55:03
engulfing the Shack in flames as the
00:55:07
fire took hold agents tossed salt into
00:55:10
the air to drive away the evil spirits
00:55:13
once the shack was reduced to ash police
00:55:16
placed the large wooden cross to mark
00:55:18
the spot where it once stood photographs
00:55:22
and video footage of the ritual were
00:55:24
published in newspapers and televised on
00:55:27
news programs across the United States
00:55:29
and Mexico after consulting local
00:55:34
witchcraft practitioners and sorcerers
00:55:36
the police concluded Constanzo was
00:55:39
likely hiding in the cosmopolitan Mexico
00:55:42
City neighborhood of Colonia Cuauhtemoc
00:55:45
locals were questioned with one
00:55:47
reporting seeing a woman in the area
00:55:49
matching Sara route J's description
00:55:53
police then witnessed a man with pink
00:55:55
dyed hair at a supermarket trying to buy
00:55:58
a large amount of groceries using a u.s.
00:56:00
$100 bill they followed him to an
00:56:04
apartment building on Rio sinner and
00:56:07
kept to the area under surveillance for
00:56:09
a week believing the man was wanted a
00:56:11
cult member Alvaro de Leon Valdez and
00:56:14
that he was purchasing groceries for
00:56:17
Constanzo
00:56:19
at around 2 p.m. on Saturday May 6 for
00:56:23
plain clothes detectives pulled up to
00:56:26
the apartment where they noticed an
00:56:28
abandoned vehicle parked outside as they
00:56:31
approached to examine it they were
00:56:33
suddenly peppered with bullets they took
00:56:37
cover and called for backup as a man
00:56:39
wielding an Uzi submachine gun shot at
00:56:42
them from the window of the adjacent
00:56:43
apartment building bullets shattered
00:56:47
shop windows and cracked the sidewalk as
00:56:49
the man screamed at the police he
00:56:52
started throwing American twenty and
00:56:54
fifty dollar bills and gold coins to the
00:56:57
street below yelling this is for you you
00:57:01
poor animals some officers and
00:57:04
bystanders rush to grab the money only
00:57:07
to scatter as they were shot at 180
00:57:11
police officers and federal agents
00:57:13
descended on the scene establishing
00:57:16
barricades and roadblocks while clearing
00:57:18
the area of civilians after an hour Sara
00:57:22
Aldrete ran out of the building followed
00:57:25
closely by another of the fugitives
00:57:27
Alvaro de Leon Valdez Aldrete shouted
00:57:32
don't shoot don't shoot I'm coming out
00:57:35
I've escaped and ii told police that
00:57:38
Constanzo was inside the apartment and
00:57:41
had ended his own life suspecting
00:57:45
outdress a surrender was a ploy police
00:57:48
cautiously entered the apartment when
00:57:50
they found de Mauro Raya
00:57:52
hiding under a bed the bloody bodies of
00:57:56
Constanzo and another cult member Martin
00:57:59
Quintana Rodriguez placed side by side
00:58:01
on the floor of the bedroom closet with
00:58:04
fatal gunshot wounds the three survivors
00:58:09
revealed Constanzo after noticing the
00:58:12
police presence outside began firing
00:58:15
from the window he had decided he would
00:58:18
rather die than be arrested believing he
00:58:21
would be resurrected
00:58:23
he ordered omorrow raya to shoot him
00:58:26
the others and then himself when i raya
00:58:30
expressed reluctance Constanzo demanded
00:58:33
do it or i'll make things tough on you
00:58:36
inhale Alvaro de Leon Valdez carried out
00:58:42
the killing instead shooting Constanzo
00:58:44
and cantana
00:58:45
but the slaughter hindered their occult
00:58:50
paraphernalia was found throughout the
00:58:52
apartment including two swords black
00:58:55
candles a wax goal and a blindfolded
00:58:58
doll three thousand dollars in cash had
00:59:01
been burned on the stovetop allegedly
00:59:04
destroyed by Constanzo during the gun
00:59:07
battle who told his followers no one's
00:59:10
going to have this money after the group
00:59:15
initially fled from Texas following the
00:59:18
raid on rancho santa elena they
00:59:20
disguised themselves but dyeing their
00:59:22
hair and wearing sunglasses and hats and
00:59:25
kept a low profile in the outskirts of
00:59:28
Mexico City when Constanzo saw the news
00:59:32
footage of hissing Ganga being destroyed
00:59:34
he screamed and fired his machine gun at
00:59:37
the television fearful that his powers
00:59:39
had been diminished on April 25 the
00:59:44
fugitives returned into Mexico City
00:59:46
moving between the apartments of their
00:59:48
associates before finally taking refuge
00:59:51
in their final hideout in Colonia
00:59:53
Cuauhtemoc hours before the shootout on
00:59:58
May 6 Sara Aldrete through a handwritten
01:00:02
note out the window which read please
01:00:05
call the judicial police and tell them
01:00:07
that in this building at those they are
01:00:09
seeking tell them that a woman is being
01:00:12
held hostage
01:00:13
but begged for this because what I want
01:00:16
most is to talk or they're going to kill
01:00:19
the girl
01:00:21
the note was found by two young men
01:00:24
walking on the street below one looked
01:00:27
up and made eye contact with our dritt a
01:00:29
but he thought it was just a joke and
01:00:31
didn't hand the note to authorities
01:00:33
until after the shooter
01:00:40
sir Aldrete
01:00:42
omorrow Raya and Alvaro de Leon Valdes
01:00:45
were placed under arrest
01:00:47
Aldrete portrayed herself as a victim of
01:00:50
the cult claiming she had been taken
01:00:53
hostage and forced to go along with the
01:00:55
group's demands she denied any
01:00:58
involvement in the sacrificial rituals
01:01:00
saying she felt sorry for the Kilroy
01:01:02
family and revealing she had volunteered
01:01:05
to help James Kilroy hand out his son's
01:01:08
missing person posters yet evidence
01:01:12
indicated Audra Tay was a willing
01:01:14
participant in the cults activities she
01:01:18
was able to describe several of the
01:01:20
murders in detail and failed to provide
01:01:22
any proof that she had been abducted
01:01:26
each of the seven arrested cult members
01:01:29
face the different charges based on
01:01:31
their involvement in the 15 murders
01:01:33
including those of cult members
01:01:35
Constanzo and Martin Quintana Rodriguez
01:01:39
some also faced the charges for drug
01:01:42
trafficking criminal association and
01:01:44
coverup as well as burial narcotics and
01:01:47
weapons violations the trials commenced
01:01:52
in July of 1989 but given the huge
01:01:55
amount of paperwork the presiding judge
01:01:56
had to examine it took her years to
01:01:59
reach a conclusion O'Mara Raya died from
01:02:03
AIDS mid trial in February 1990 in
01:02:07
August that same year Alvaro de Leon
01:02:10
Valdez was sentenced to 30 years in
01:02:13
prison for the murders of Constanzo and
01:02:15
cantana in May 1994 five years after the
01:02:21
cult was uncovered Sara Aldrete Sarafine
01:02:25
Hernandez Garcia Elio Hernandez Rivera
01:02:28
and the two men who captured mark and
01:02:31
drove him to the ranch
01:02:32
David's Erna Valdez and Sergio Martinez
01:02:35
Salinas we're each sentenced to 67 years
01:02:39
a federal court later reduced their
01:02:43
sentences to 50 years after the court
01:02:46
ruled it was the maximum they should
01:02:48
have received under met
01:02:49
second law if they are ever released
01:02:53
from prison American authorities planned
01:02:55
to prosecute them for the murder of mark
01:02:57
Kilroy Sara Aldrete quote I am sorry
01:03:04
because of all the things that happened
01:03:06
I'm sorry because of all the killing I
01:03:09
don't know how I got into this without
01:03:12
knowing what it was constanzo would
01:03:15
order you to do something and you would
01:03:17
do it but I don't know why he was like a
01:03:21
leader or something
01:03:22
we were like followers as the life
01:03:27
sentences and the death penalty did not
01:03:30
exist in the Mexican judicial system the
01:03:32
kilroy family and US officials expressed
01:03:35
satisfaction with the outcome
01:03:37
Helen Kilroy told reporters quote we
01:03:42
were concerned that maybe they weren't
01:03:44
going to get sentenced that they were
01:03:46
going to let things quiet down and to be
01:03:49
released but I'm glad those fears were
01:03:52
unfounded
01:03:53
I think we and to the people of Mexico
01:03:56
can feel safer brownsville sheriff's
01:04:01
lieutenant george Gavita
01:04:03
who was the first to law enforcement
01:04:04
official to learn of mark's
01:04:06
disappearance said i just really commend
01:04:10
the mexican government for doing it i
01:04:12
think it sends a message over here to us
01:04:15
that justice was done over there
01:04:22
three of the cult's victims were never
01:04:24
identified and two mexican authorities
01:04:27
suspect Constanzo had ritualistically
01:04:29
murdered another 16 children
01:04:32
a pair of children's shoes were
01:04:35
uncovered at the ranch and the baby's
01:04:37
belongings including photographs were
01:04:39
found near the bloody el tajin Sara
01:04:41
Aldrete bedroom there were also
01:04:44
unsubstantiated reports that a small
01:04:47
human skull was found in constanzo's and
01:04:50
Gaga
01:04:53
although the media followed the more
01:04:56
sensationalist Satanism angle the Kilroy
01:04:59
family believed the real problem was
01:05:01
drug-related violence in northern Mexico
01:05:04
in May 1989
01:05:07
they founded the Mark Kilroy Foundation
01:05:09
which provides drug education to young
01:05:12
people they met with then President
01:05:15
George Bush and made appearances on talk
01:05:18
shows in churches and on the steps of
01:05:20
Austin State Capitol to promote their
01:05:23
cause Helen Kilroy told the New York
01:05:26
Times we've stopped and wondered what we
01:05:29
were doing several times but I think we
01:05:32
were meant to do this because at every
01:05:34
bad moment we hear from somebody and
01:05:37
addict a parent that has lost a child
01:05:39
somebody who says they want us to keep
01:05:42
going in 2009 as the 20th anniversary of
01:05:48
Mark's death approached the cure Royce
01:05:51
visited madam Morris and the Rio Grande
01:05:53
Valley to thank the locals who helped
01:05:55
find their son
01:05:57
in December 2014
01:06:00
Helen Curie passed away at the age of 70
01:06:04
her funeral was held in the same church
01:06:07
where Mark had been fair world 25 years
01:06:09
earlier she is buried alongside her son
01:06:13
in a family plot with memorial bricks
01:06:16
featuring their names on permanent
01:06:18
display outside the Santa Fe Independent
01:06:20
School District building as of 2019 the
01:06:26
mark Kilroy foundation is still active
01:06:28
in April the Foundation announced that
01:06:31
had awarded six thousand dollars in
01:06:33
scholarships to three graduating seniors
01:06:38
rancho santa elena stood abandoned four
01:06:41
years after the crimes came to light
01:06:43
slowly overrun by wildflowers and grass
01:06:46
a year after mark Kilroy his death local
01:06:51
police reported that fresh holes
01:06:53
appearing on the site had been dug by
01:06:55
residents desperately seeking missing
01:06:57
loved ones the mexican government
01:07:01
eventually took ownership at the land
01:07:03
and tried to turn it into a corn and
01:07:05
sorghum farm but were unable to find any
01:07:09
staff willing to work there
01:07:24
[Music]
01:07:34
you

Badges

This episode stands out for the following:

  • 90
    Most shocking
  • 90
    Biggest twist
  • 90
    Most iconic moment
  • 85
    Most heartbreaking

Episode Highlights

  • Mark Kilroy's Disappearance
    Mark Kilroy, a pre-med student, goes missing during Spring Break in 1989, raising alarms among friends and family.
    “Mark's unexplained disappearance was of great concern to his parents.”
    @ 09m 49s
    September 07, 2019
  • Search Efforts Intensify
    As days pass without news, search efforts escalate, involving local police and the Kilroy family.
    “James Kilroy spent long hours each day speaking with investigators.”
    @ 14m 16s
    September 07, 2019
  • A Haunting Revelation
    A caretaker reveals he saw a young man resembling Mark, bound and blindfolded, weeks prior to his disappearance.
    “Domingo stated, 'Yes, that's him.'”
    @ 24m 38s
    September 07, 2019
  • The Cult's Rituals
    Constanzo ordered his followers to conduct sacrificial rituals for strength and protection.
    “It was our religion, el voodoo.”
    @ 25m 24s
    September 07, 2019
  • Discovery of the Shack
    Investigators found a gruesome scene filled with ritualistic items and signs of sacrifice.
    @ 26m 00s
    September 07, 2019
  • Mark Kilroy's Abduction
    Mark was abducted by cult members after a night out, leading to his tragic fate.
    @ 45m 21s
    September 07, 2019
  • Mark's Funeral
    At his funeral, Mark's brother expressed the family's grief and love for him.
    “Mark loved life, he loved society.”
    @ 48m 51s
    September 07, 2019
  • Sara Aldrete's Arrest
    Aldrete portrayed herself as a victim but evidence indicated her involvement in the cult.
    “I am sorry because of all the things that happened.”
    @ 01h 00m 50s
    September 07, 2019
  • Cult Members Sentenced
    Several cult members received lengthy sentences for their involvement in the murders.
    “We were concerned that maybe they weren't going to get sentenced.”
    @ 01h 03m 42s
    September 07, 2019
  • Mark Kilroy's Legacy
    The Kilroy family founded a foundation to provide drug education after Mark's death.
    “We've stopped and wondered what we were doing several times but I think we were meant to do this.”
    @ 01h 05m 07s
    September 07, 2019

Episode Quotes

  • I'm extremely worried about him because he's pretty responsible.
    Human sacrifice and a spring break gone wrong
  • I feel like Mark's going to come back to us.
    Human sacrifice and a spring break gone wrong
  • It was our religion, el voodoo.
    Human sacrifice and a spring break gone wrong
  • Go ahead, your bullets will just bounce off.
    Human sacrifice and a spring break gone wrong
  • Do not be sad for Mark, be sad for yourselves and us.
    Human sacrifice and a spring break gone wrong
  • I am sorry because of all the things that happened.
    Human sacrifice and a spring break gone wrong

Key Moments

  • Missing Person Report09:11
  • Hope and Despair14:40
  • Cult Leader24:55
  • Press Conference37:28
  • Mark's Death48:25
  • Finding Mark49:51
  • Cult's Capture51:14
  • Final Showdown56:23

Words per Minute Over Time

Vibes Breakdown