The butchered remains of the son of a well-known Mexican journalist have been found inside a box and black bags.

The chopped-up body parts of sketch artist Jordy Davalos Nieto, 27, were found alongside Federal Highway 150 in the municipality of Ixtaczoquitlan in the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz just hours after his family reported him missing on 11th January.

At around 3am that same morning, the young man had left his home in the municipality of Fortin, also in Veracruz State, but his family lost contact with him just hours later and subsequently raised the alarm with the authorities.

A photo of the tattooed cycling enthusiast was shared online with a plea to the public to get in touch if they had any information as to his whereabouts. However, the family’s hopes were short-lived, as the young man’s dismembered body was found by cops just hours later.

His body was taken to the city of Orizaba, where it was identified by relatives, and the young man’s death was confirmed and reported in local media today (Thursday, 13th January). He was later buried in the municipality of Cosamaloapan de Carpio.

The victim was the son of well-known journalist Elodio Davalos Gonzales.

A 2020 report ranked Mexico as the most dangerous place for journalists outside an official war zone, though it is currently unclear if Davalos’ apparent kidnapping and murder were linked to his father’s work.

The police are investigating the crime, and they have not yet identified the possible motive.