Colombia’s Antioquia region is in mourning after the body of six-year-old Michelle Dayana Henao was discovered on August 31 near Buriticá, a small town in the northwest of the country, days after she was reported missing. Governor Andrés Julián Rendón declared three days of official mourning following the news.
Authorities say the girl’s body was found roughly 3 kilometers (about 1.9 miles) from the town center, in rugged, hard-to-reach terrain. Police Colonel Luis Fernando Muñoz Guzmán said investigators believe it is unlikely the child reached that location under her own power, suggesting she—or her body—was transported there, though no suspect has been named. Forensic experts from Medicina Legal, Colombia’s national forensic institute, are still working to determine the exact cause of death.
The body was found in an advanced state of decomposition, indicating she had likely been dead for several days before discovery. A farmer stumbled upon the remains in the La Aguacatala rural district after noticing a group of vultures—known locally as “gallinazos”—circling near his land. Investigators confirmed the girl was wearing the same red shirt captured in the last security camera footage of her before she disappeared.
The case has shaken the community, and the investigation into what happened to Michelle Dayana continues. To read the full original report in Spanish, visit El Tiempo.
Source: El hallazgo del cuerpo de Michelle Dayana, menor desaparecida en Antioquia: no habría llegado por sus medios (eltiempo.com). English version produced with AI assistance.
Image: NotifyNYC, PDM 1.0 (via Openverse).