The children had been missing from Indianapolis with their pregnant mother since February.
SAN CRISTÓBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico — Seven children missing from Indiana were found alive in southern Mexico after their pregnant mother, Makala Marie Pendley, was discovered dead in a nearby rural area, authorities said.
The discovery ended one part of a missing persons case that began in Indianapolis but opened a new criminal case in Chiapas. Pendley, 30, was found Monday near Elambó Bajo in Zinacantán. Mexican officials said her death was being investigated as femicide and that her partner had been arrested as the suspected killer.
The children were found during a search of a home in the Fátima neighborhood of San Cristóbal de las Casas, a mountain city in Chiapas. Authorities said they were alive and placed in protective custody. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department confirmed the children had been located, while U.S. officials worked with Mexican authorities on arrangements for their care and possible return to relatives.
Pendley and the children had been reported missing after they were last seen Feb. 23 in Indianapolis. Missing child notices listed the children as Aubrielle, Polaris, Nikola, Earthum, Orion, Azrael and Joseph. Their ages ranged from 1 to 12. The notices said the children may have been traveling with Pendley, who was pregnant when the case began.
Chiapas prosecutor Jorge Luis Llaven Abarca said early findings showed Pendley died from blunt-force trauma. Officials said her body had been left near a road before it was found. Authorities have not said when she died, how long she had been in Chiapas or whether the children witnessed any violence. Those details remained part of the investigation.
Mexican authorities identified the arrested man only as Joseph “N,” a common practice in Mexico before conviction. Prosecutors described him as Pendley’s partner and said they would pursue punishment under the state’s femicide law. Officials also said he had criminal history in the United States and an active warrant matter connected to Alaska, though full court records were not immediately detailed in public briefings.
The case drew attention because it involved a missing U.S. family, a pregnant victim and seven children found across the border months later. Family members said Pendley had loved her children and that their return was now the priority. Jennifer Lambert, one of Pendley’s sisters, said the loss left a lasting hole in the family.
As of Thursday, the children were safe in Mexican custody, Pendley’s body had been identified, and prosecutors were moving the case into its next legal stage.
Author note: Last updated Thursday, June 11, 2026.