3rd priest in a week found dead in Mexico

MEXICO CITY – A Roman Catholic priest who had been reported kidnapped has been found dead in central Mexico.

Prosecutors in Morelos state said a relative identified the body of Rev. Moises Fabila Reyes, 83. He appears to have died of a heart attack and is the third priest killed or to have died under suspicious circumstances in Mexico in a week.

The prosecutors' office said Thursday that relatives had reported that Fabila Reyes was missing to federal anti-kidnapping prosecutors in Mexico City.

The Catholic Multimedia Center said the priest had been on vacation when he was abducted April 3 and that family members paid a ransom of over $100,000.

In the last week, a priest was shot dead on the outskirts of Guadalajara and another was stabbed to death outside Mexico City.