Mexican authorities arrested her partner after finding the seven children in Chiapas.
ZINACANTÁN, Mexico — A pregnant Indianapolis mother missing since February was found dead Monday in southern Mexico, and her seven children were later located alive as authorities arrested her partner in a femicide investigation.
Makala Marie Pendley, 30, was found near Elambó Bajo, a rural area in Zinacantán, Chiapas. Officials said she died from blunt-force trauma that caused a traumatic brain injury. Her death turned a months-long missing persons case into an international homicide investigation involving Mexican prosecutors, Indianapolis police and U.S. officials working on the children’s return.
Pendley and her children were reported missing from Indianapolis after they were last seen Feb. 23. The children ranged in age from 1 to 12. Missing child notices said they might be with their mother. Family members told local reporters they feared for the children after Pendley’s body was identified. Chiapas prosecutor Jorge Luis Llaven Abarca said investigators opened a femicide case after the body was found with signs of violence.
Authorities identified the suspect as Joseph “N,” described by Mexican officials as Pendley’s partner. Prosecutors said he was arrested after investigative work tied him to the case. During the same response, officials said agents found the seven children inside a home in the Fátima neighborhood of San Cristóbal de las Casas. The children were reported safe and placed under government protection while U.S. officials worked with Mexican authorities.
The case crossed several states and countries before the arrest. Mexican reports said Pendley had been in Yucatán in 2025, where she reported concerns involving the children. The family later became the subject of missing child alerts in the United States. Officials have not released a full public timeline explaining how Pendley and the children moved from Indiana to Mexico or how long the children were in the San Cristóbal home.
Mexican prosecutors said the case is being handled as femicide, a charge used in Mexico for the killing of a woman because of gender-based violence. Authorities said they would seek a severe sentence if the suspect is convicted. They also said the suspect had prior legal issues in the United States, including an active matter in Alaska. Court dates and formal charging details had not been fully released publicly.
Pendley’s relatives described her as a mother devoted to her children. Her sister, Jennifer Lambert, said the family’s focus had shifted to bringing the children home and giving them care after the death. The children remained in protective custody in Mexico as of the latest public updates. Officials said coordination with U.S. representatives was continuing.
The investigation remains active, with prosecutors in Chiapas expected to continue forensic work, interviews and court steps tied to the suspect’s arrest.
Author note: Last updated Thursday, June 11, 2026.