A suspect is in custody, but prosecutors have not publicly presented the complete evidence or court record supporting the case.
TUXTLA GUTIÉRREZ, Mexico — Chiapas prosecutors investigating the death of Indianapolis mother Makala Pendley have identified her partner as the principal suspect and promised to seek up to 100 years in prison, setting a forceful legal position before disclosing a complete case.
Joseph Jude Butler Jr. was detained after Pendley’s body was found June 8 near Zinacantán. Authorities are investigating the death as a femicide and say forensic evidence established that Pendley suffered fatal blunt-force trauma. The public record, however, still leaves unanswered what charge was filed, what evidence connects Butler to the killing and when a judge reviewed the prosecution’s allegations.
Chiapas State Prosecutor Jorge Luis Llaven Abarca announced Butler’s detention during a public briefing. He described Butler as Pendley’s partner and the likely perpetrator, saying the office would pursue the maximum sentence of 100 years. Such a statement signals the seriousness of the investigation, but punishment can be considered only after prosecutors file an accusation, present legally obtained evidence and obtain a conviction. Butler retains the presumption of innocence.
The state’s use of the term femicide carries legal meaning beyond the general fact that the victim was a woman. Mexican laws allow prosecutors to pursue femicide when a killing includes circumstances associated with gender-based violence, such as sexual violence, a relationship with the accused, prior threats, degrading treatment or the exposure of the victim’s body. Authorities have not publicly identified which statutory factors they believe apply in Pendley’s case.
Pendley, 30, was found near the entrance to Zinacantán, a highland municipality adjoining the San Cristóbal de las Casas area. Llaven Abarca said the cause of death was traumatic brain injury secondary to blunt-force trauma. Investigators believed the body had remained at the location for eight to 12 hours. The prosecutor did not publicly identify a weapon or say whether forensic evidence showed that the roadside area was the scene of the attack.
Family members said Pendley was found without clothing and had suffered sexual violence. They also said she was about six months pregnant. Those allegations could influence the legal classification if supported by forensic findings, but authorities did not release a complete autopsy report. Publicly available statements did not explain whether testing confirmed sexual assault, whether DNA was recovered or whether the pregnancy created an additional criminal count.
Investigators detained Butler in San Cristóbal de las Casas after a search in the Fátima neighborhood. During the operation, authorities also located Pendley’s seven children and placed them in protective custody. Officials said the children were safe. They did not describe whether Butler was with them when officers entered, whether evidence was seized at the location or whether the search was authorized by a warrant issued in the homicide inquiry.
The distinction matters because a criminal case may depend on evidence obtained from a residence, phones, clothing, vehicles or statements. Mexican courts can examine whether officers followed required procedures when collecting those materials. Prosecutors have not publicly released an inventory of seized property, laboratory results or witness statements. Without that information, the strength of the case cannot be measured from the arrest announcement alone.
Llaven Abarca said coordination with U.S. authorities showed that Butler had a criminal record and an outstanding warrant in Alaska. His summary referred to previous matters involving assault, robbery, fraud, illegal firearms, intimidation and sexual violence. The prosecutor did not provide docket numbers or clarify whether each item was an accusation, arrest or conviction. Prior conduct may guide an investigation or affect detention, but it cannot replace proof that Butler committed the Chiapas killing.
An Alaska warrant could eventually create an extradition issue, although the Mexican case would likely proceed first if local prosecutors file and maintain charges. The United States could provide certified court records or seek Butler’s return after the Mexican process ends. Neither Chiapas officials nor U.S. authorities have publicly outlined such a request. No agency has announced that Butler waived proceedings or agreed to transfer.
Potential evidence reaches back to Indiana. Pendley and the children were reported missing in February, reportedly after a case manager with the Indiana Department of Child Services contacted police. Indiana court records included paternity and custody proceedings involving the family. Pendley’s sister, Maurica Lambert, described the couple’s relationship as toxic and repeatedly interrupted over many years. Those records may help establish history, but prosecutors must still connect that history to the events of June 8.
Authorities may request police reports, protective-order records, child-welfare documents and communications between Pendley and relatives. Some records could remain sealed because they concern minors. Others may require formal international requests before they can be admitted in a Mexican proceeding. Translation and authentication can also affect how quickly foreign documents reach a courtroom. Officials have not said which Indiana records they have obtained.
A May encounter between the family and Mexican authorities could provide especially important evidence. Indianapolis police said Mexican officials located Pendley and the children that month, took the children into custody and later released them back to their mother. The record of that intervention may show where the family was staying, whether Pendley made a statement and what officials knew about Butler. No agency has released the assessment behind the decision to return the children.
Investigators also may examine a shelter where Pendley reportedly stayed. Her cousin Jami Dowdy said someone connected to the shelter identified Pendley after her death. If Pendley sought services there, staff members may have information about her condition, statements or plans. Prosecutors have not named the facility or said whether it preserved registration records, security video or communications. They also have not established publicly whether Pendley had separated from Butler before she died.
Witnesses in Zinacantán and San Cristóbal de las Casas could help narrow the final timeline. Investigators estimated that Pendley’s body had been left for no more than half a day. Phone-location records, transportation cameras, vehicle data and messages could show where Pendley and Butler were during that period. Authorities have not stated whether the children were present, whether anyone saw Pendley alive June 7 or June 8 or whether another person is under investigation.
The children’s accounts, if any, would require special handling. They range in age from about 1 to 12 and had just lost their mother while their father entered custody. Interviews with young witnesses may be recorded and conducted by specialists to reduce repeated questioning. The children’s privacy also limits what prosecutors can disclose publicly. No official has said that any child witnessed the assault or provided evidence against Butler.
Butler’s legal status remained unclear in public reporting reviewed through July 12. Early accounts said he had been placed at the disposal of the public prosecutor while investigators determined criminal responsibility. Later reports used terms such as arrested or charged without reproducing a formal judicial order. A reliable procedural update would identify the offense, the court, the date of the initial hearing, the detention ruling and the next deadline for the investigation.
The 100-year figure announced by Llaven Abarca also requires context. It represents the punishment the prosecutor said he would seek, not an automatic penalty. The final sentencing range would depend on the specific charge, proven aggravating factors and any separate offenses accepted by the court. A judge, not the prosecutor, would impose punishment after conviction. No sentence had been reported as of the date of this article.
Outside the courtroom, Pendley’s relatives continued working with consular officials to bring home her body and seven children. Those proceedings are separate from deciding Butler’s guilt, although custody records and family interviews could overlap with the investigation. The FBI told an Indianapolis television station in June that it was not involved at that time, leaving Chiapas authorities in control of the homicide case.
The next meaningful legal development will be a verifiable court document showing the accusation and evidence standard applied to Butler. Until then, the case consists publicly of a forensic cause of death, a suspect’s detention, the recovery of seven children and a prosecutor’s stated intention to seek the harshest available punishment.
Author note: Last updated July 12, 2026.