Who were Julissa Ramirez and Nohemi Martinez? Texas lesbian couple tortured, murdered in Mexico
CIUDAD JUAREZ, MEXICO: The bodies of two women were found dismembered just outside the Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez on January 17, 2022. According to reports, they have been identified as Julissa Ramírez and Nohemí Medina Martínez, who lived just across the border in El Paso, Texas. The tragic killing means that the three children the couple raised are now orphans, with no word on whether they will be taken in by either of the families.
Back in 2021, a large number of Americans were murdered in Mexico, such as Alexandra Morales. The Georgia teacher's body was found on the side of a road in Guadalajara in November. In June, a Texan mom and her two kids went missing on Mexico's "highway of death" between Monterrey to Nuevo Laredo. The nation has been struggling with an extremely high rate of gang violence for decades, which hasn't stemmed. Just around 20 days into 2022, authorities in Ciudad Juarez are reportedly investigating over 60 murders.
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Right now, it's unclear who exactly is responsible for the killings of Ramirez and Martinez. As with Morales' death, there remain more questions than answers, but the Chihuahua State Attorney General's Office did open an investigation into the case. The governor, Maru Campos, promised that the murders would not go unpunished as multiple LGBTQ+ organizations began protesting their deaths.
Who were Julissa Ramirez and Nohemi Martinez?
The young lesbian couple reportedly got married in July 2021 and were originally from Chihuahua. They also had three children - a son and two daughters but it's unclear if they were adopted or conceived via a donor. Their Facebook pages are very bare, so there's little we could find about the two of them. Both women, in their 30's, were reportedly visiting relatives in Chihuahua when they were murdered.
Police say the couple was tortured before being shot and killed and their bodies were dismembered and discarded in garbage bags. On January 18, the news led protesters to march through the city reportedly chanting "The street and the night also belong to us." Infamously known for its drug violence and gender-based violence, Juarez has seen an extremely large number of killings each year.
Since the couple appears to be Mexican, the US has not gotten involved yet. There's no word from officials in the federal government or from those in El Paso.