Body of Missing Mother Found in Rosario Boarding House
A former police officer in Argentina is in custody following the discovery of a missing 26-year-old mother’s body inside a suitcase. Barbara Camila Aragon was reported missing by her family on October 10, according to the Mirror US, and was discovered dead the following morning in a boarding house in Rosario.
Authorities located Aragon in the kitchen of an upstairs apartment, wrapped in a blanket and concealed inside the luggage. Preliminary autopsy findings revealed that she died of asphyxiation, the Mirror US reported.
Taxi Driver Leads Investigators to Boarding House
Aragon’s family, living in Villa Gobernador Galvez, launched a search after losing communication with her. A crucial lead emerged from a taxi driver who had driven her to the boarding house on Saturday morning, according to the Mirror US.
Minutes after dropping her off, the driver received a WhatsApp message from Aragon requesting that he return to pick her up. He drove back and honked his horn multiple times but received no response, prompting him to leave the property.
Suspect Identified as Dismissed Officer
During a subsequent search of the property, police located a 37-year-old man in an upstairs apartment and arrested him on suspicion of murder, according to the Mirror US. The suspect, identified as Eliel S., previously served on the Santa Fe police force before his termination following a drug-trafficking conviction.
Court records show he received a six-year prison sentence in 2021 for belonging to an organization involved in transporting cocaine from Rosario to Reconquista. In July 2024, he was also temporarily detained while in possession of clothing bearing police insignia and a replica firearm.
Forensic Investigation and Ongoing Police Procedures
Investigators have confiscated a mobile phone from the property for forensic examination to reconstruct the timeline leading up to Aragon’s death. Authorities have not yet released further details regarding the ongoing criminal proceedings against the suspect.
Aragon is survived by two young children. Friends and community members shared tributes online following the discovery, with one writing, according to the Mirror US: “Barbara, you deserved to live, to watch your children grow up and to enjoy all the life you had ahead of you.”
Related reading