Diego and Alfredo Páramo, the sons of Mexican journalists David Páramo and Marta Nicholson, were killed over a drug debt, not the profession exercised by their parents, according to César Duarte, the governor of Chihuahua state. Duarte alleges that the Páramo brothers had rung up a debt of 10,000 pesos (approximately 825 dollars) to drug dealers, and that they were involved in the selling of drugs. A 25-year-old suspect in the murder has been detained by police. Duarte also said that two years ago a previous assassination attempt had targeted the house where the brothers lived with their parents, and that the attempt would be factored into the investigation.
"The mother herself," said Duarte in reference to Marta Nicholson during a televised interview, "stated that it was not tied in any way to her profession."
RELATED: Mother Of Slain Brothers Had Previously Received Threats
The detained suspect was identified by Duarte as Jonathan Lozoya, a friend of Diego. Diego, 20, and Alfredo, 21, were killed while returning home in their car in the early hours of last Saturday morning. They had previously returned home before going back out, for unknown reasons.
"This individual was in contact with them during that night via text messages, which stopped minutes before the homicide. Upon being detained he has declared to us that he served as a decoy to the material and intellectual author of the crime in order to claim the debt of 10,000 pesos," said Duarte. The governor requested "patience" and said the police have made "considerable advances" thus far in the investigation, though he declined to elaborate.
RELATED: Colombian Journalist Survives Assassination Attempt
David Páramo, the father of the two victims and a prominent financial journalist with the newspaper Excelsior, published a series of posts on his Twitter account thanking those who had offered condolences, expressing his religious faith and asking for respect from those who "forget that this is a tragedy which aggrieves at least two families". He also said he "has always longed for a country in which the laws are respected" and citizens fulfill their obligations to bring about "a nation of prosperous and just Mexicans". The mother of the victims, Marta Nicholson, is the editor of El Peso, a Chihuahua newspaper dedicated largely to the crime beat.
Authorities had insisted from the start of the investigation that there was no evidence linking the murders to the profession of the brothers' parents, though many in Mexico's journalism world were shaken by the news. Since December 1, according to the pro-press-freedom group Freedom House, more than 36 cases of aggression against journalists or media outlets have been recorded.
RELATED: Obama Calls For Greater Economic Cooperation Between US And Mexico
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.