Missing influencer found dead after tortured remains discovered stuffed in drum and abandoned on side of road

Missing influencer found dead after tortured remains discovered stuffed in drum and abandoned on side of road The body of Alex Serna, a 39-year-old journalist fromGuerrero, Mexico, was discovered in a blue drum on the side of a road in the state several days after he went missing A missing influencer and environmental activist has been found dead in Mexico after he shared details of chilling death threats he had received telling him he had to "back off". Manuel Alejandro Moreno Serna, 39, known publicly as Alex Serna, disappeared on June 20, the same day he shared a video claiming to have exposed a fruit company. Two days later, authorities discovered a body stuffed inside a blue drum which, according to a local outlet, showed signs of torture. The remains were later confirmed to belong to Mr Serna, from Zihuatanejo in Guerrero, Mexico, and his death has sparked massive local outrage after being confirmed by the Human Rights Commission of the State of Guerrero (CDHEG). Mexican outlet Infobae reports that the barrel containing his remains was discovered on the side of the Zihuatanejo-Acapulco federal highway in Petatlán on June 22. His death was confirmed on Saturday, hours after his loved ones pleaded with the public for details relating to his disappearance. His remains weren't identified until several days later by his family, before it was publicly confirmed by CDHEG, which has called for an immediate investigation. The body said in a statement: "The Human Rights Commission of the State of Guerrero urges the competent authorities to conduct a thorough investigation to clarify the facts." Mr Serna was well-known in the Costa Grande region for his efforts to document and denounce purported environmental damage, territorial conflicts and possible corruption. He had shared a video accusing a foreign mango company of extracting water resources without a licence in his state on the day he went missing, claiming to have uncovered documentation showing an absence of federal approval. Authorities are yet to release information about a possible motive, for his death and no one has been arrested in connection with the activists death. But Mr Serna had been the recipient of chilling death threats before his body was discovered, which he received over social media. In one post online, he was sent statements like “cut the crap” and "we’ve got you in our sights, you better back off". In another message sent purportedly from the same user, he was told: "We’re not playing around, we already have your location and everything.” His death has sparked a massive upswell in local support, especially from activists and journalists, who alongside residents plan to take to the streets. On Saturday, civil organisations and citizens had called for a demonstration outside Zihuatanejo City Hall under the slogans: “No to disappearances!” and “No to silence!” A friend of the journalists took to social media after learning of their friend's death to call for urgent help, claiming "communicators" in Guerrero were being kidnapped. They said: “This is an urgent appeal to the relevant authorities, for our President Claudia Sheinbaum, to pay great attention to what’s happening in Guerrero. This is not an isolated case. Independent communicators whose only aim is to promote the truth are starting to be kidnapped.”