Former beauty pageant winner Carolina Flores Gómez was found fatally shot in a Mexico City apartment on Apr. 15, and investigators are looking at her mother-in-law as the main suspect, according to reports from Mexican and international outlets.
Carolina Flores Gómez, 27, won the 2017 Miss Teen Universe Baja California title, according to reports that identified her as the victim in the Polanco neighborhood of Mexico City. Authorities have not announced any arrest or charge in the case.
The investigation has centered on testimony that her husband accused his mother, Erika María, of shooting Gómez, while reports say the husband and mother-in-law were both in the apartment when the killing occurred, according to People.
The reports also say police are examining the delay in notifying authorities, with the incident allegedly reported a day after it happened.
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Forensic teams examined the scene in Polanco after Gómez was found dead from an apparent gunshot wound to the head, according to the reports. The apartment is in one of Mexico City's wealthiest districts, a detail that has drawn added attention to the case, Mirror reported.
Mexican outlets have described the death as a possible feminicide, a legal classification used in cases of killings of women that may involve gender-based violence. Prosecutors have not publicly confirmed a motive, and reports say investigators are still collecting statements and physical evidence.
Gómez was originally from Ensenada, Baja California, and had a profile in local pageant circles before her death. The case has prompted scrutiny of the family's account and the timing of the report to police, both of which remain central to the investigation, as per Milenio.
