María José Alvarado
| Beauty pageant titleholder | |
| Born |
María José Alvarado Muñoz 19 July 1995 Santa Bárbara, Honduras |
|---|---|
| Died |
13 November 2014 (aged 19) Cablotales, Honduras |
| Title(s) | Miss Honduras World 2014 |
| Major competition(s) |
Miss Honduras World 2014 (Winner) Miss World 2014 (Did Not Complete) |
María José Alvarado Muñoz (19 July 1995 – 13 November 2014) was a Honduran model, TV Host and beauty paegant titleholder who was Miss Honduras World 2014.[1] She had been scheduled to compete at the Miss World 2014 contest in London in December 2014, but was murdered prior to the event.[1] Since her crowning she had worked as a model on the television game-show X-O da Dinero.[2]
Disappearance and death
On the night of 13 November 2014, María José (19) and her older sister, Sofía Trinidad Alvarado Muñoz (23), disappeared after leaving a party in Santa Bárbara, Honduras.[3][4][5][6] According to witnesses she stepped into a car without license plates.[7]
On 19 November, the same day María José had been expected to travel to London, the sisters' bodies were found. They had both been shot and buried in a field near Cablotales.[8][9] Plutarco Ruiz, Sofía Trinidad's boyfriend, as well as another man, Aris Maldonado, were arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and murder of the two sisters.[7] Ruiz confessed to the murders, stating he had shot Sofía Trinidad after an argument on the night of the party, then shot María José twice in the back as she tried to flee.[2]
It was announced the same day that Honduras would not send a replacement to the Miss World pageant as a sign of respect for Alvarado.[9] The chairwoman of the Miss World organization Julia Morley released a statement "to everyone around the world who has been touched by the awful news from Honduras this morning ... We are devastated by this terrible loss of two young women, who were so full of life. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Maria Jose Alvarado and Sofía Trinidad at this time of grief".[10] Morley also stated the Miss World pageant would hold a special memorial service for María José and her sister on 23 November.[10]
References
- 1 2 "María José Alvarado crowned Senorita Honduras Mundo 2014". World Beauty Updates. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
- 1 2 "Miss Honduras María José Alvarado Found Dead, Officials Say". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
- ↑ Our Foreign Staff (17 November 2014). "Miss World 2014: Miss Honduras and her sister go missing". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
- ↑ Elvin Sandoval and Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN (17 November 2014). "Miss Honduras World missing days before pageant - CNN.com". CNN. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
- ↑ "Miss Honduras World 2014, sister missing". Fox News Latino. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
- ↑ "BBC News - Honduras beauty queen María José Alvarado found dead". BBC News. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
- 1 2 Selby, Jenn. "Miss Honduras María José Alvarado vanishes days before Miss World Competition: Sister's boyfriend arrested on suspicion of kidnapping". The Independent, UK. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
- ↑ "Missing Miss Honduras: Police Find Bodies". Sky News. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
- 1 2 "BBC News - Honduras beauty queen María José Alvarado found dead". BBC News. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
- 1 2 Garvey, Megan (19 November 2014). "Miss Honduras María José Alvarado and sister found dead; pair had been missing". latimes.com. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
External links
- María José Alvarado, Miss Honduras Mundo (obituary), elheraldo.hn; accessed 22 November 2014. (Spanish)