The body of Víctor Manuel “N”, 17 years old, identified as allegedly responsible for the murder of the mayor of Uruapan, Michoacán, Carlos Manzo Rodríguez, was laid to rest last Wednesday in the community of Paracho, after his relatives claimed his remains. The young man lost his life a few minutes after committing the attack against Manzo, which occurred on the night of Saturday, November 1, in the Plaza de los Mártires, located in the center of the city.
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Subsequently, the minor’s body was transferred to his old home in Nurio, a town he had left a week before the homicide. His relatives traveled to Morelia, the state capital, to carry out the legal recognition of the body.
The wake in Paracho was carried out discreetly, with the presence of few people who came to accompany the family during mourning. According to statements provided by relatives to the authorities, Víctor had been absent from home a week before the crime.
The minor had drug use, according to the autopsy
Relatives reported that the young man faced substance addiction problems, including amphetamines and marijuana, something that was confirmed in the autopsy, where traces of said drugs were found in his system. This result, according to the experts, could help understand the mental state and context under which the adolescent acted.
Forensic results confirm his participation in the attack
The state prosecutor of Michoacán, Carlos Torres Piña, reported that Víctor Manuel tested positive for sodium rhodizonate, an analysis used to detect gunpowder residue on the hands, which confirmed his direct participation in the six shots that Mayor Carlos Manzo Rodríguez received.
Investigations have established that at least two other people were involved in the homicide. According to the first advances, The State Attorney General’s Office considers that the attack could be related to the operation of organized crime groups in the Uruapan region, an area historically affected by the presence of these organizations.
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Possible mastermind
Former mayor Carlos Bautista Tafolla declared that the case should not be closed solely with the identification of the young aggressor, because, in his words, “It is not enough to identify the murderer of Carlos Manzo, we must see who the intellectual author was,” referring to the fact that the crime could have been ordered by third parties.
What the law says about the penalty for homicide
Article 320 of the Federal Penal Code establishes that the penalty for the crime of homicide ranges between 30 and 60 years in prison. Nevertheless, Because Victor was a minor, he would not have been prosecuted as an adult. In that case, he would have been tried under the Adolescent Justice System, where The maximum applicable sentence is 5 years, according to current Mexican legislation.
BB