Human sacrifice and a spring break gone wrong | Forensic Files

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

Case 123: Mark Kilroy

21-year-old University of Texas student Mark Kilroy was excited about Spring Break. 1989 had been a busy year for the pre-med student and he was looking forward to some downtime before taking his upcoming Medical College Admission Test...

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research – Erin Munro Writing – Elsha McGill and Milly Raso Creative direction – Milly Raso Production, scoring – Mike Migas and Andrew Joslyn

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RESOURCES

For all credits and sources please visit https://casefilepodcast.com/case-123-mark-kilroy

Brief Summary

Mark Kilroy was abducted and murdered by a cult in Mexico during Spring Break 1989, sparking a massive search and investigation.

Key points

Mark Kilroy's Disappearance. Mark Kilroy, a responsible pre-med student, goes missing during Spring Break in 1989.
Search Efforts Intensify. As days pass, search efforts escalate with police and volunteers working tirelessly.
A Haunting Revelation. A caretaker reveals he saw a bound young man in a vehicle, believed to be Mark.
The Rituals of Adolfo Constanzo. Adolfo Constanzo ordered his followers to conduct sacrificial rituals for power and protection.
Discovery of the Killing Field. Investigators uncovered a mass grave with multiple victims, revealing the horrors of the cult's activities.
Mark Kilroy's Tragic Fate. Mark Kilroy was kidnapped and brutally murdered as part of a sacrificial ritual.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I'm extremely worried about him because he's pretty responsible.

Helen Kilroy expressing concern for her son Mark's disappearance.

12:45WatchSep 7, 2019

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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