Heartbreak: Missing Mexican student found dead in Berlin canal

The body of a missing Mexican student who disappeared at the end of July was found in a canal in Berlin, police in Germany reported on Saturday. 

Maria Fernanda Sanchez Castaneda was a 24-year-old student from Mexico, who had relocated to Berlin to pursue a Master’s degree in new media design at the University of Applied Sciences in Europe. 

She suddenly disappeared in Berlin on July 22, after she left her apartment to go to a meeting, but she never returned home. Her family noticed her disappearance after she failed to answer their usual phone call on Sunday. 

Javier Sanchez, her father, said the Mexican girl lived on a first floor with a balcony and that there was evidence that her room had been altered when authorities arrived. 

A few days after her disappearance, Berlin police said in a statement that they believed the woman was “in an exceptional psychological situation.”

An intense, two-week search for the woman followed, which involved more than 500 people and covered more than 3,000 kilometers. Last week, Interpol issued a yellow search notice to help find the missing girl and 125 volunteer brigades pasted search posters in Berlin. 

Sanchez’s body was found floating in a canal by a person who was walking near a bridge in the Berlin neighborhood of Adlershof on August 5, police said. Police confirmed that the body in the water belonged to Sancghez. 

Her family, through the Secretary of Foreign Affairs (SRE), confirmed her death. Additionally, they thanked everyone who helped search for their daughter. 

"It is with great pain that we inform you that today, August 5th, the German police confirmed that our daughter Maria Fernanda was found dead," her family said. "We ask for respect for our daughter's memory, our mourning and our privacy. We appreciate your discretion and understanding." 

“According to the current findings, there is no evidence of third party culpability,” police said. However, the circumstances that led to the death of the 24-year-old have not been clarified. The results of the autopsy are still pending.