Cher Lynn Hughes Murdered in Panama; Texas Man Suspected in Death of American Woman
PANAMA CITY (CBS/AP) Cher Lynn Hughes, an American woman who lived in Panama, was missing for four months when her remains were found last week in a shallow grave near a hotel run by the man now believed to be her killer, William "Wild Bill" Adolfo Cortez, of Texas.
Hughes' body was one of two or more found in the makeshift graveyard., according to conflicting reports. Cortez and his wife, Jena Seana Cortez, are now considered fugitives and have been classified as armed and dangerous.
Hughes was from suburban St. Louis, reported CNN, saying the victim was in her early 50's according to her husband, who identified her remains.
The discovery of Hughes' body was at least due in part to the refusal of her family to take no for an answer.
After reporting Hughes missing March 20, her friends and family say the police did almost nothing to find her. They finally reached out to a reporter for Panama-Guide.com in Panama City, Don Winner, who did some digging and met with Panama's Attorney General and the Department of Judicial Investigation.
Winner reports that he found evidence that Cortez and his wife had been purchasing a lot of properties and businesses for cash, from people who would then mysteriously disappear. With that new information in hand Winner and the family were able to prod authorities into action, and less than a week later they found Hughes' body on a property registered to Cortez. They also found another body, whose identity had not been clearly established, as well as papers pointing to the possible murder of another American expatriate, Bo Icelar.
Authorities believe William and Jena Cortez, may have left a string of bodies behind them and, after finding one fake passport on the property, may have left the country under false identities.
William Cortez is described as a 35-year-old white male with long blond hair, gray/green eyes, full blond beard and mustache, 5' 9" tall, and weighing about 280 pounds. His wife Seana Cortez, is approximately 5" 5" tall, about 200 pounds, with red hair and blue eyes.