In a tragic turn of events, three young women’s lives were cut short in a brutal killing in Ecuador. Nayeli Tapia, Yuliana Macias, and Denisse Reyna, aged 21 and 19, were found with slit throats in a shallow grave on April 7, three days after they went missing.
Hauntingly, their final texts to their loved ones before their killing revealed premonitions of danger.
Tapia texted her sister her location, near where the women’s bodies were later found, at 11.10 pm on April 4, saying, “I’m just sending you just in case.” Reyna also sent a message to a friend, saying, “I feel that something is going to happen and if something happens to me, remember that I love you very much.”
The women lived less than 50 miles from where they were killed, in an area where rival drug trafficking gangs continue to fight. The state of emergency was enacted in Esmeraldas province, where the women were believed to have been killed and buried, due to high crime and violence. Police found a cellphone by the grave and are hoping it will aid in the investigation.
The tragic incident has sent shockwaves through the community, and the haunting final texts have left loved ones grappling with the pain of their loss.
