The frightening disappearance of young Mexican supermodel Gabriela Rico Jiménez fifteen years ago continues to fuel an old conspiracy theory that the world’s powerful secretly practice cannibalism.
On August 4, 2009, 21-year-old Gabriela burst out in a “mad” state from a luxurious hotel in the Mexican city of Monterrey Nuevo Leon, where a private party for unnamed but very wealthy individuals was taking place.
She was wearing a torn T-shirt with the word “Yum-Yum,” whose sinister meaning became clear when she started shouting terrifying statements.
When Gabriela first ran out of the hotel in her torn T-shirt, a random bystander turned on their phone and began recording her on video. This footage is all that remains of Gabriela’s story.
“I wanted freedom. Monterrey freed me, but it cost me a lot of effort. I was in Mexico City for a year and four months. It all started in mid-2001. I barely remember anything,” Gabriela began.
“They were young and powerful, and they killed them [other people]. I was knocking on doors—what I wanted was my freedom. I want my freedom. Carlos Slim Domit knew about it!”
Carlos Slim Domit is the son of the owner of Telmex, a Mexican telephone company with multibillion-dollar revenues.
A crowd quickly gathered around Gabriela, and someone called the police. When the officers approached her, she started yelling at them:
“Leave me alone. They already took me to the police station, and there they told me they knew nothing! Then they took me to the general hospital!”
Pointing at one of the officers, Gabriela said:
“You! You were there! Go to ***! You killed Mouriño!” she claimed.
Juan Camilo Mouriño Terrazo was a high-ranking Mexican politician associated with the National Action Party (PAN). He died in a 2008 Learjet plane crash and was the Minister of the Interior in the cabinet of then-President Felipe Calderón. The circumstances of this crash are still considered mysterious. All nine people on board died, as well as seven residents whose homes the plane crashed into.
“They told me who killed them? The Queen of England, the Queen of Germany, princesses, and Mickey Mouse? It was him too!” Gabriela pointed at the second officer.
“Nothing gets here. People from where you come from are crazy! They killed many people. Death to such people! Leave!” Gabriela continued to shout, now pointing at another officer.
“They ate people! Disgusting! They ate people! I knew nothing about it! About the murders, yes, but they ate people! People! They smell of human flesh!” Gabriela continued.
By this time, the police had approached her, restrained her, and handcuffed her before taking her to their vehicle. They put her inside, drove away, and… Gabriela was never seen alive or dead again.
That evening, the footage recorded by the bystander was shown on local TV, where it was stated that the girl had tried to attack a police officer and was therefore detained.
Later, information surfaced that Gabriela was initially held in prison and then sent to the Buenos Aires Colony Psychiatric Center indefinitely, “until she receives help and can be provided with good care.” Whether this is true or not remains unknown.
