Two Priests and Tour Guide Killed In Mexican Church; Authorities Offer $250,000 Reward For Information

A tour guide and two priests were murdered inside a Mexican church, and now authorities are offering a multi-thousand dollar reward for information.

Officials have recovered the bodies of two priests, Javier Campos, 79, and Joaquin Mora, 81. The two men, who were fatally shot “while trying to defend a man who was seeking refuge,” were found in a church called Society of Jesus on Monday in a town named Cerocahui. The killed tour guide was identified as Pedro Palma, CBS News reports.

“We have managed to locate and recover… the bodies of the Jesuit priests Javier Campos and Joaquin Mora, and of the tour guide Pedro Palma,” said Chihuahua state governor in a social media video.

As authorities continue their investigation, they are offering up $250,000 for any information that could help them find information connected to the crime. One of the suspects already on authorities’ radar is José Noriel Portillo Gil, alias “El Chueco.” He allegedly assaulted two other people following a spat over a baseball game. Later on, he reportedly kidnapped Palma, who took off running into the church for help, CBS News reports.

The office says this is the highest reward in the state’s history, CBS News reports.