ADVERTISEMENT
But what? How and why remained unanswered questions that would t0rment María Teresa for the next 15 years.
The first theory, which dominated both the official investigation and neighborhood speculation, pointed to an express kidnapping carried out by criminals who had mistaken Ana for a young woman from a wealthy family.
It was 2002, and Monterrey was experiencing a worrying increase in this type of crime. The hypothesis gained strength because Ana, despite belonging to a family with limited resources, had an appearance that could have confused kidnappers who observed her superficially. She was a well-groomed young woman, always wore clean and ironed clothes, and walked with the confidence of someone accustomed to moving around her neighborhood without worry.
Investigator Carlos Mendoza, initially assigned to the case, developed a specific theory. It’s likely that a criminal group had identified the young woman as a potential target without properly investigating her real financial situation. When they realized their mistake, they possibly decided to eliminate her to avoid being identified. This theory explained the total lack of contact after the kidnapping.
In traditional kidnapping cases, criminals establish communication with the family to negotiate a ransom. In Ana’s case, no calls demanding money ever came in. María Teresa found some logic in this explanation during the first months of the search. It allowed her to maintain hope that Ana was still alive, being held in some remote location by criminals who would eventually release her upon confirming that the family couldn’t pay a ransom.
The second important theory emerged from comments from neighbors about an unknown car that had been seen circulating in the neighborhood in the days prior to the disappearance. Mrs. Maldonado remembered noticing a gray sedan with license plates she couldn’t remember, occupied by two men who seemed to be observing neighborhood routines.
“I didn’t give them any importance at the time,” Mrs. Maldonado told investigators. I thought they might be relatives of a new neighbor or perhaps vendors, but now that I think about it, it seemed strange to me that they remained in the car for so long. This information prompted an intensive search for witnesses who could provide additional details about the suspect vehicle.
For several weeks, the investigation focused on locating similar cars, reviewing vehicle theft records, and constructing sketches of the occupants. The suspicious car theory kept investigators busy for almost six months, but never produced any concrete clues leading to Ana.
The sketches didn’t match any known criminals in the police database. The third theory, more painful for María Teresa, but equally persistent, suggested that Ana had voluntarily decided to abandon her life in Monterrey to start a new life in another city. Some investigators argued that a 19-year-old woman with overwhelming family responsibilities and few opportunities for personal development could have secretly planned an escape.
“We’ve seen similar cases,” investigator Mendoza explained to María Teresa. Young people who feel the weight of family expectations and decide to seek independence without painful confrontations. María Teresa categorically rejected this possibility. Ana would never have done anything like that to me.
She knew how much Jorge and Patricia needed her, and above all, she loved me too much to cause me this suffering. These three main theories dominated the investigation during the first two years after Ana’s disappearance. Each had compelling elements, but also significant gaps that impeded conclusive progress. What none of the theories considered was the simplest and at the same time most unthinkable possibility: that Ana Morales had never actually left the Santa María neighborhood and that throughout the entire search, she had remained less than
100 meters from the house where María Teresa mourned her absence every night. By 2007, five years after Ana’s disappearance, the official investigation had practically reached a standstill. The case files filled three full folders in the offices of the Ministerial Police, but active leads had been exhausted without producing any tangible results. María Teresa had transformed her life completely around the search for Ana.
She had reduced her work hours as a domestic worker to devote more time to visiting government offices, organizing search campaigns, and keeping the case under scrutiny. Her income had decreased considerably, but she had developed a support network among neighbors and civil society organizations.
Jorge, now 20, had dropped out of high school to work full-time and compensate for the reduction in family income. He had grown into a serious and responsible young man, but also bitter about his sister’s absence. Patricia, 17, was showing signs of adolescent depression, exacerbated by the constant tension in the family home.
ADVERTISEMENT
