Mother's 2-year crusade ends in death

Reuters Ms. of Escobedo's funeral Saturday.

Mexico CITY - the murder of a mother who two years tried to court the murderer of her 16 year old daughter spent a nerve in Mexico, beaten, sheds a bright light on dysfunctional judicial system of the country.

Marisela Escobedo, 52, a little-known figure was until last week when her a man in the head before the Governor's office building in the capital city of Chihuahua, a northern border State known for its drug-related violence shot. Mrs Escobedo weeks earlier had started a sit-in on the street, refusal to leave arrested admitted her daughter killer to officials.

The brazen murder of Mrs Escobedo away stunned many Mexicans meters by the Governor's Office. President Felipe Calderón and the United Nations condemned the killing and asks Chihuahua to delete State officials to the crime. On Wednesday instead of several hundred demonstrators a silent March in Ciudad Juarez, where was Mrs Escobedo.

Rebecca Blumenstein talks a nerve in Mexico with David Luhnow about the murder of a mother who spent two years trying to bring killer to justice in her 16 year old daughter and why the tragedy has taken.

"People are angry about this case." Father Oscar Enriquez, a Catholic priest and the Director of a human rights said "People who change demand is merge" Center in Ciudad Juarez.

Saga Escobedo's wife is a sad indictment of Mexico law enforcement system. In August 2008, her daughter disappeared Rubi Marisol from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico's most violent city. Police suspicion fell on your kitchen friend Sergio Barraza, who had a baby girl with Rubí. Mr. Barraza then fled was reported by the police.

Fed up with waiting for police and prosecutors, the case to resolve the detective, Mr. Barraza has woman Escobedo, a retired nurse, and leading police on his arrest nearly a year later in the near located Zacatecas State track works.

Reuters Marisela Escobedo reacts after the April decision, the said killer of her daughter.

Mr. Barraza confessed to kill Rubí and led the police to your body, which he had burned and then buried in the vicinity of a pig slaughterhouse.

Mr. of Barraza's published him three judges trial in April of this year, argue, there was insufficient evidence against him and prosecutors for putting together a sloppy case blame. An angry woman Escobedo started a one-woman crusade, Mr. Barraza to justice, keep the protests of Ciudad Juárez to bring Mexico City.

In may a Court of Appeal set aside the lower court decision to release him. Mr. Barraza condemned the Court of appeal in the absence of Rubi's murder and sentenced him to 50 years in prison. But until then, he fled again.

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Detected in the course of the summer woman Escobedo again Mr. Barraza. Local newspaper reports neighbours saw him go way over a rooftop so as the police arrived.

In a bid to pressure the grieving mother authorities began their sit-in a few weeks ago. "I'm not going to you, that killer arrested," said media at the time. She said, Mr Barraza's family had you receive death threats. The Government offered a reward for his capture.

Last week, as the sun set on the capital security cameras captured the scene as an armed man woman Escobedo, approached, across the road in the direction of the Governor, Office fled. The man took the persecution and dismissed and your body onto the sidewalk crumbled. Among the witnesses: Rubi's children girl.

The footage of killing was repeated on night news about Mexico, seen where the maternal role is as sacrosanct, mother's day is a major national holiday.

Killed the day after Mrs Escobedo, he met her brother-in-law, Manuel Monje, was by unidentified men in a wood with his brother, Marisela's husband is running. His body was from a moving car along a Ciudad Juarez Avenue on Saturday, witnesses and police said dumped.

The chances of identify and track the murderers of three Escobedo family members are low. Only 2% of those crimes in Mexico are brought to justice, several academic and Government estimates. That impunity has fomented violence in Ciudad Juarez, where 3,000 people were killed in this year alone – many of drug cartels fight for lucrative smuggling routes in the United States last year, prosecutors in Juarez won 19 convictions for murder; There the same year according to data from the Government that have been published by the associated press for 2,600 murders in the city.

After Ms. of Escobedo's killing ordered Chihuahua State Governor César Duarte, that the three judges first published Mr. Barraza be withdrawn their jobs. Activists criticized the Governor for the order of removal was killed after Mrs Escobedo and not according to the decision, Mr Barraza to let go. The Governor responded directly to the criticism, but said authorities tried Mr. Barraza, catch, where the Governor believed is said to a member of the Zetas cartel, one of the fiercest of the country.

This week the Sinaloa cartel offered his services to track down the killer. Two hand-painted banners displayed in Ciudad Juarez, one at a public hospital, the cartel Escobedo's wife family offered their condolences from and calls residents present giving out information, even a Web site.

Write toDavid Luhnow at the david.luhnow@wsj.com

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