[FOUND] Technology and Families: A Path to Closure

#Disappearance #Mexico

Since the ‘War on Drugs’ was declared in 2006, disappearances have been one of the most critical issues in Mexico. Over 117,000 individuals are currently reported as disappeared, and the impact on their families is enormous. Through FOUND, we leverage technology to collaborate with mothers in their search for disappeared sons and daughters, working together to bring closure.

'I found my son in the flowers'. Guerreros Buscadores de Jalisco, Mothers' Search Group

The Role of Mothers’ Search Groups

Mothers’ search groups currently use their empirical knowledge to identify potential clandestine graves. For example, in open areas, they look for natural indicators—called signs—such as off-season green plants or unusually blooming flowers, which may signal bodies buried below. They insert a T-shaped metal stake into the ground and smell it upon removal to detect any scent of decomposition. If detected, they proceed to recover the remains.

In other settings, like abandoned houses, these mothers tap the cement floor with the same metal stake – known as a ‘vidente’ (seer or clairvoyant) – listening for changes in sound that could indicate an anomaly, such as a hollow space, and potentially, a body.

About the FOUND Project

Launched in 2023, the FOUND project (Interpretar la Naturaleza para Encontrar a Quienes nos Faltan) combines the expertise of search groups with advanced technology to address Mexico’s crisis of disappearances. Based in Jalisco—the state with the highest number of recorded disappearances (over 16,000)—FOUND has established experimental sites replicating clandestine burial scenarios common in the region. Using donated pig carcasses that died of natural causes as proxies for human remains, the project examines conditions such as exposure to extreme heat, fragmentation, and wrapping in plastic or blankets.

FOUND is testing a range of methods informed by the knowledge of local mothers, including:

• Forensic Entomology and Botany, Territorial Analysis, Soil Studies.

• Multispectral Imaging

During Phase 1 of the project, the results showed that, in line with the findings of mothers’ collectives, body decomposition alters the soil’s moisture and produces nitrogen-rich areas, often visible in unusual plant growth such as off-season green plants or unexpected blooming flowers. By using multispectral cameras mounted on drones, nitrogen and chlorophyll anomalies in plants can be detected through subtle variations in light reflections. Though traditionally used in agriculture to monitor plant development and health, these technologies can be adapted for detecting clandestine graves by using vegetation indices.

In 2025, during Phase 2 of the project, the following technologies will be tested:

• Hyperspectral Imaging
• Lasers, Airborne LiDAR
• Seismic Noise Interferometry Tomography (TIRSA)
• Electrical Resistivity Tomography, Conductivimeter

These approaches aim to enhance the detection of clandestine graves.

The Book

The book ‘Interpreting Nature to Locate Those We Are Missing’ (Interpretar la Naturaleza para Encontrar a Quienes nos Faltan) presents findings on the application of biological, physical, and earth sciences in detecting clandestine graves. The book is currently being translated into English.

Partners

This project involves the participation of:

• Mothers’ Search Groups
• CentroGeo
• The National Council for Humanities, Sciences, and Technologies (CONAHCYT)
• The Jalisco State Commission for the Search for Missing Persons
• The Jalisco Institute of Forensic Sciences
• Various companies
• The UNAM Institute of Geophysics
• The UNAM Faculty of Engineering
• Four University Centers of the University of Guadalajara
• The Polytechnic University of the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area
• The University of the West of England
• The University of Oxford

FOUND: Interpretar la Naturaleza para Encontrar a Quienes nos Faltan