Miriam Elizabeth Rodriguez Martinez was a Mexican woman whose daughter was kidnapped and supposedly held for ransom by a cartel. Though Miriam paid the ransom, her daughter was not released, leading Miriam to conclude she was dead. Such situations were not uncommon for the area, and police investigation was rarely conclusive due to the widespread influence of the cartels. Miriam determined to track down the cartel members responsible for her daughter’s kidnapping on her own, and secure sufficient evidence to have them incarcerated. Over the next several years, Miriam’s investigations resulted in the arrests of several perpetrators, and she gained widespread notoriety for her efforts as an activist; she also helped found a support organization for families of other kidnapping victims, the “Colectivo de Desaparecidos” (roughly translated, “The Vanished Collective”).
Her tactics of investigation were noteworthy. Starting with the info she had on the people she’d been in contact with over the kidnapping, she was able to identify several through social media and subsequently determine their whereabouts. She would then disguise herself and stalk them for additional evidence; once she was sufficiently prepared, she would involve the police. Several arrests and subsequent convictions were secured through these methods. Miriam’s effectiveness put her at odds with the powerful cartels, but she continued her work and public advocacy for increased political accountability despite threats of retaliation. In 2017, she was shot to death at her home.
Reviewing these accounts, I was reminded of the Israelite justice system as it pertained to cases of murder and manslaughter, as described in Numbers 35. It was generally considered the responsibility of the victim’s family to repay the perpetrator in kind to the offense; but that there might be recourse to a falsely accused individual, God instructed the Israelites to establish “cities of refuge,” “that the manslayer who kills any person without intent may flee there. The cities shall be for you a refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation for judgement.” (11b-12) In the case of murder, the individual would be handed over to the avenger for execution. But in the case of an accidental death without enmity, a very different sentence was instead applied: “And the congregation shall rescue the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he had fled, and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil. But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the boundaries of his city of refuge to which he fled, and the avenger of blood finds him outside the boundaries of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood. For he must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest, but after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return to the land of his possession.” (25-28)
This example of Biblical criminal law may seem strange to modern perceptions; justice is often considered reserved to the governing authorities (this is also technically a Biblical concept, as described in Romans 13). Vigilantism is often emotionally motivated, and thus at risk of compromise concerning moral justification, lacking accountability. On the other hand, at times the government may be found unable or unwilling to uphold this responsibility. In such cases, we are instructed to endure in patience, knowing that true justice is ultimately in God’s hands. Nonetheless, it’s fascinating to see how God uses some people’s efforts to accomplish His will.
Be just. TTT
References:
–Baruc Mayen, infobae: https://www.infobae.com/mexico/2024/05/10/miriam-rodriguez-la-madre-que-cazo-a-los-zetas-tras-el-secuestro-de-su-hija-y-fue-asesinada-un-10-de-mayo/
–DeathDoor, YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeuiPsg5EEE
–CEJIL: https://cejil.org/en/press-releases/the-murder-of-activist-miriam-rodriguez-in-mexico-highlights-the-dangers-faced-by-mothers-and-families-searching-for-their-disappeared-relatives/