Thousands of Missing Persons in Mexico's Jalisco State Remain Unidentified in Morgues

As the number of missing persons in Mexico continues to rise, around 6,249 unidentified bodies are currently being held by the Jalisco Institute of Forensic Sciences.

Citing a new report by NGO Justice Center for Peace and Development, Mexico News Daily reported that some 2,500 of those bodies entered the morgue since the current state administration took place in late 2018.

The National Registry of Missing Persons noted that the total is nearly half of the 12,819 people who have been reported missing in Jalisco, Mexico. Many of the bodies in the Jalisco Institute of Forensic Sciences remain unknown since they have yet to undergo DNA analysis.

The Jalisco Institute of Forensic Sciences has 117 people working on body identification of the retrieved corpses. However, not all have the needed training for the job, the Justice Center NGO said.

The Justice Center NGO further noted that the lack of coordination between authorities involved in the process is crucial in the ongoing crisis.

The state government had launched an investigation after images circulated online of bodies being inappropriately stored on the floor and without refrigeration.

Some Guadalajara residents complained in 2018 about a smelly, refrigerated trailer full of bodies parked in various areas in the city. The mobile vehicle was reportedly a temporary solution to overflowing morgues in the Jalisco Institute of Forensic Sciences.

Meanwhile, the Jalisco Institute of Forensic Sciences director, Gustavo Quezada, said many staff had stopped working because of the pandemic, which had caused delays.

Last week, at least 70 bags of human remains were found at a vacant lot in Tonala City in Jalisco, Mexico Mexican authorities said that 11 bodies have already been distinguished amid the collection of body parts.

Morgue Problems in Mexico

In 2018, the morgue had a problem, which was the lack of space for fresh corpses. As the violence continues to peak, more bodies started to arrive every day. Jalisco authorities came up with a solution by renting a refrigerated truck and parked it at the morgue.

The stop-gap solution has been unacceptable, but not until the truck had driven off the lot and started going around the Guadalajara area. Residents complained of putrid smells, while human rights advocates denounced the inhumane treatment of the corpses, The New York Times reported.

The National Human Rights Commission earlier said that such events had shown a lack of respect for the dignity of the deceased and violated fundamental rights and those of their family members.

Several morgues have been burdened with some administrative work, while others reach and exceed their capacity.

Marisela Gómez Cobos, a top prosecutor for the Jalisco attorney general's office, said the truck carried victims of crimes, and none had been identified yet by relatives. Gomez added that the truck remained under refrigeration at all times.

Officials earlier said that the state had been trying to build a new area in the morgue to handle the increasing number of bodies. However, it was stopped by a protest of neighbors.

Missing Persons in Mexico

In January 2019, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador had established the "Truth and Justice Commission" to help families of the 43 students from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers' College, who went missing after they were forcibly abducted.

According to a Human Rights Watch report, the disappearance of the students in Iguala had shaken Mexico due to a large number of victims and police participation in their abduction.

The incident had also enraged the public since this horrific incident was not an isolated case. As 2020 neared an end, more than 79,000 missing persons were reported in Mexico.

WATCH: Missing in Mexico - From The San Diego Union-Tribune