In the famous border city of Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, hundreds of women go missing. The ones that are found have strange symbols carved on their bodies. Some have their wrists bound with shoelaces. All are discarded like garbage. The story of Forgotten investigates what or who is responsible — a serial killer, organ traffickers, a Satanic Cult? — and pursues an investigation with law enforcement on both sides of the border, terrified witnesses, and corrupt authorities.
Episode 1 - For the last three decades, women have gone missing in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, right across the border from El Paso, Texas. Some are found later, bearing the telltale signs of a serial killer. Hosts Oz Woloshyn and Mónica Ortiz Uribe begin their investigation into who could be responsible for these horrific crimes. We speak with the FBI’s former top agent on the border, as well as the journalist who’s gone the farthest in investigating the killings, Diana Washington Valdez. And we visit the family of Sagrario González Flores, whose murder remains unsolved.
Episode 2 - Oz and Monica explore the case of Lilia Alejandra Andrade, whose abduction and murder revealed disturbing evidence that connects to other crimes. We meet the former Chief of Forensics in Juárez, to learn why he warned of a serial killer. And Diana shares disturbing details of how the victims were selected.
Episode 3 - We travel to downtown Juárez, where many of the victims were last seen alive, and where journalists are unwelcome. Oz and Monica visit the offices of El Diario, Juárez’s local paper, to learn about the risks faced by those who seek the truth. And Diana receives strange threats as she gets closer to exposing who is behind the crimes.
Episode 4 - It's 2001 and eight women's bodies are discovered in a well trafficked area of Ciudad Juárez. Oz and Mónica visit the site of the mass grave with the former chief forensic investigator and take a closer look at some unusual crime scene details. Two suspects confess to the crimes.
Episode 5 - Doubts about the bus drivers' guilt in the Cotton Field murders inspire two prominent lawyers to come to their defense. The lawyers question the police investigation and start to receive threats. Dante Almarez, the "Devil's Lawyer," is on a personal mission to uncover the truth of who is responsible for the murders of the women.
In this bonus episode, Mónica gives us a sneak peak into the side of Juárez that is often discussed, but rarely understood. We meet cultural anthropologist and border expert Howard Campbell, who has deeply researched the various criminal networks at work in Ciudad Juárez by spending time on the ground. We'll be back next week with a new episode that takes us even further into the Juárez underworld.
Episode 6 - Journalist Alfredo Corchado interviews an eyewitness from the Juárez underworld, who claims to know what's happening to the murdered women. A suspect is arrested in Sagrario Gonzalez's case. And the FBI begins a secret cross-border operation.
Episode 7 - Uncovering who is behind the murders of women begins to suggest a much larger conspiracy. But how far does it reach? And does it stop at the border? Alfredo keeps digging, and we look for answers in Júarez's past.
Episode 8 - One of the biggest challenges of getting to the bottom of the femicides is knowing who to trust, and who is metido - involved with the dark side. FBI agent Hardrick Crawford begins speaking out, calling the murders "crimes against humanity." But as he becomes involved with the Juárez elite, he makes powerful enemies.
We've gotten some new interviews in the last week, so we'll be back with Episode 9 on July 27th. In the meantime, check out an article about our podcast in W Magazine. There's more recommended reading on Monica's Twitter, @MOrtizUribe. See you next week!
Episode 9 - We examine the details that connect many of the murder victims to Juárez's foreign-owned factories, also known as maquiladoras. A Mexican customs investigation takes an unusual turn, leading Diana to a new line of investigation for who else could be involved in the murders.
Episode 10 - Another mass grave is discovered in 2012, suggesting a new wave of femicides. Oz investigates connections between the cartels and the international banking system, and Mónica returns to Juárez for a final conversation with Paula Flores about what happened after Sagrario disappeared.
Mónica is joined by Colombian journalist and Univision news anchor Ilia Calderón for a conversation about the drivers of femicide around the world, and Ilia’s new book "My Time to Speak: Reclaiming Ancestry and Confronting Race."