Gabriel R. Trujillo, a graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, was killed in Sonora, Mexico, while conducting field research investigating plants endemic to the region.
The murder of Gabriel R. Trujillo occurred on June 19, and according to his family and fiancée, his body was found several days after his disappearance.
A statement issued by UC Berkeley details that Gabriel Trujillo was a graduate student at that university, and that he was in Mexico doing field research.
“…was murdered last week in Sonora, Mexico. Local police authorities are investigating. This is heartbreaking news and campus officials have reached out to his family to offer support and assistance. Trujillo, a botanist, was a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the Integrative Biology department. The campus received confirmation of his death on Friday, June 23.”
The Attorney General's Office of the State of Sonora reported that the young man's body was found on the stretch of highway that leads from the town of San Nicolás to Tepoca, on June 22. Meanwhile, the car that he drove from his home in Oakland to Sonora was found a few meters from his body.
"Her body was located in a ravine by agents of the State Public Security Police (PESP), a few meters from the edge of the road. Her five-door, black, 2009 model BMW MPW station wagon with California license plates was found a few meters from the body, from where several clues were collected that are being analyzed by the institution's forensic laboratories," Mexican authorities said.
The autopsy revealed that Trujillo's cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds and that he had been dead for three to five days.
He added that Gabriel's body was analyzed by Forensic Services and fully identified by his relatives to whom it was handed over.
Roxanne Cruz-de Hoyos, Trujillo's fiancée, has opened a GoFundMe account asking for help to cover the cost of transporting his body from Mexico to the United States.
“Due to the international travel logistics required to bring Gabriel from Mexico to the U.S. and because of the travel costs his family members will incur for his ceremonies in Michigan and California, we are asking for this amount to cover costs and assist his family in this heartbreaking time. Anything you can do to contribute or share is greatly appreciated.”
So far, the family has raised more than $62,000.
The family also announced that two memorial services will be held: one in Fenton, Michigan, on July 5-6 and another in the Bay Area of California, with no specific location yet specified. All who wish to attend are welcome to attend both ceremonies.
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