Three missing young women who had travelled to the beach have been found with their throats slit and signs of torture in a shallow grave.
The grim discovered was made by some fishermen who noticed a dog sniffing the ground alongside the Esmeraldas River near Quininde, Ecuador, on April 7. As reported by the Mirror, they smelt a foul stench before police were called to the scene and uncovered the bodies of three young women.
Media in Esmeraldas Province reported that they were tied up and their mouths were covered. Diego Velastegui of the Quininde Police told local press: "They were young, had beach clothes, bathing suits, light clothing, shorts."
The victims, aged between 19 and 22, have been named as Nayeli Tapia, Denisse Reyna, and Yuliana Macias. They had left their homes in Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, 52 miles away from where they were found, on April 4 to go to the beach.
Their families reported them missing later that day. The women were tortured and had their throats slit, according to crime scene investigators.
The victims' families have said that they do not know the friends they were supposed to meet. Preliminary investigations suggest that the women were killed in the rural locality of Malimpia, in Quininde Parish, on April 5.
According to reports, investigators have identified the rental car that allegedly took the young women to the crime scene.
Yuliana's aunt, Paulina Rueda, told local media: "All we want is justice, and if the public knows, they should report who is responsible for this horrible femicide, because it's three femicides in one day."
Police officers also found a mobile phone, which they hope will help them solve the case. Victim Nayeli, 22, grew up in Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas but lived in Quito. She worked as a model.
Yuliana, 21, was a singing student and performed with the band Las Diablitas. Denisse, 19, was studying Agricultural Engineering at the State Technical University of Quevedo.
Grieving Paulina told local media that she and other relatives have been receiving threats for demanding justice.
She said: "I will stand until the last consequences, despite the fact that my life has been in danger since yesterday."
She has pleaded with the public to not link the young women's deaths to drug trafficking. The victims were laid to rest on April 9.
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