Jose Melesio Gutiérrez Padilla, a dual Mexico-United States citizen, was an architect from Ohio. Born in León, Guanajuato, Mexico, he moved to the United States at the age of 12 and built a successful career there. He completed a master’s degree in architecture at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and worked for Champlin Architecture in Cincinnati. Jose was engaged to Daniela Márquez Pichardo, who was an interior designer, and they planned to marry in September 2023. Viviana Pichardo was a fashion designer, and Irma Montoya was a make-up artist.

The Incident

On December 25, 2022, Jose, his fiancée Daniela Márquez Pichardo, her sister Viviana Márquez Pichardo, and their cousin Irma Paola Vargas Montoya disappeared while traveling from Jerez, Zacatecas, to Colotlán, Jalisco, Mexico. They had spent time at a bar in Jerez, a popular tourist destination, and were returning to  Colotlán, where the Márquez sisters lived. The last known message was a GPS message sent by Daniela to her mother, indicating that something was wrong. 

The group was reported missing, and extensive search efforts were initiated. On January 16, 2023, their pickup truck was found in Tepetongo, Zacatecas, with bullet holes, suggesting they had come under attack. Later, their remains were discovered in the same area, with DNA testing confirming their identities.

Likely Suspects

The region of Zacatecas, where the incident occurred, has been plagued by violent crime and cartel activity, particularly involving turf wars between the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel. It has been speculated that Gutierrez and Pichardo and their family were victims innocent victims of this dispute and just happened to be in the wrong place and the wrong time. 

Family

Jose’s family in the United States and Mexico expressed their grief and frustration over the incident. His father, Enrique Gutiérrez, highlighted the unfairness of losing a good person who was doing well in life. His sister, Brandie Gutiérrez, shared that Jose had a promising career and a happy future ahead with Daniela. 

Legacy

The death of Jose Melesio Gutiérrez Padilla, along with his fiancée and her relatives, underscores the ongoing issues of violence in certain regions of Mexico and the personal toll it takes on families and communities. The case has drawn attention to the dangers faced by residents and visitors in these areas. The U.S. Department of State has issued a travel advisory for the Mexican state of Zacatecas, urging people not to travel in the state “due to crime and kidnapping.”

“Violent crime, extortion, and gang activity are widespread in Zacatecas state,” reads the agency’s website. “U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping.”

Champlin Architecture will be honoring Jose by creating a scholarship in his name at Miami University as he always believed in creating more opportunities.