Maria Sofia Hernandez, 33, of Yakima, Washington, was killed on August 31, 2022, while six months pregnant. She and 44-year-old Cesar Armando Murillo were murdered that day; both bodies were later recovered in a remote high-desert area near Yakima and autopsies showed multiple gunshot wounds to the head.

Authorities say the killings were connected to a federal drug trafficking investigation and intended to prevent Hernandez and Murillo from testifying. The remains were found on September 13, 2023, after a yearlong search that used ground-penetrating radar, cadaver dogs and geophysical surveys. Benjamin Madrigal-Birrueta was identified as the alleged leader who orchestrated the killings; Ricardo Orizaba was charged as an accessory after the fact. The case also includes a count for the death of Hernandez’s unborn child.

Does anyone have information about Hernandez’s life in Yakima or contacts who might help piece together what led to her involvement in the federal investigation?