Mexico Family Massacre Linked to Bitcoin Holdings
Four people were found dead in Atizapán, Mexico on September 1. They included musician Jonathan Meléndez and his pregnant wife, their three-year-old daughter, and their housemaid. The family dog was also killed.
Meléndez's $1.5 million bitcoin stash is believed to be the motive behind the killings. He kept the funds in a hardware wallet at home, which investigators say the attackers specifically targeted.
Two suspects were arrested within 12 hours of the discovery. One suspect was an associate of Meléndez and used his relationship with the family to gain access to their apartment. The second suspect was offered $120,000 to carry out the attack.
The suspects face up to 70 years in prison for each victim under first-degree murder charges. Mexico's Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection called it 'a very sad, regrettable situation.'