An Indiana woman who had been missing in Mexico for months with her seven children was discovered dead, her family said.
Makala Pendley’s relative, Hailey Lambert, claimed the family was alerted of her death Tuesday morning by Mexican officials. Lambert stated her children are safe.
Pendley’s cousin, Jami Dowdy, told NBC station WTHR in Indianapolis that he vanished in February. Dowdy said her relatives spent months looking for answers but don’t know how she got up in Mexico.
In a phone conversation Wednesday, Lambert revealed that Pendley had a “very, very, very toxic relationship” with her children’s father. She stated she had always dreaded, “This was going to be the outcome.”
“It’s insane, but unfortunately, it just happens in domestic situations,” she replied.
According to Indianapolis police, Pendley was in Mexico last month, and her children were momentarily “taken into custody by Mexican authorities” before being returned to her. It is unclear why the youngsters were seized.
The police department stated that it had not been notified of anyone’s death in the case.
Dowdy said to WTHR that the children’s father was arrested in Mexico. The Chiapas state prosecutor, Jorge Luis Llaven Abarca, announced in a translated Facebook post that a suspect described as Pendley’s partner had been seized.
Attempts to contact relatives of the children’s father were unsuccessful.
Pendley’s children “were located and rescued” and are “under the protection of the authorities, while necessary arrangements are being made with the U.S. Embassy so that relatives can take care of them,” Llaven Abarca said.
Police and Llaven Abarca’s office did not immediately reply to calls for comment on Wednesday.
Pendley’s uncle, Christopher Lambert, expressed sadness over her passing.
“I hate to see anybody go through things that maybe they feel like they’re having to run away from, especially when they have kids involved,” he said.
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