Darling to help family in Mexican mystery

Published on Monday 15 March 2010 09:02

THE son of a pensioner who was found dead in a Mexican jungle has called in the support of the Chancellor as he continues to push for answers over his mother's death.

Henry Harvey, who lives in Balerno, is still desperate to find out how his mother Julia Howard, 77, died.

He met with local MP, Alistair Darling, at his constituency office in the Capital, and he pledged to press the Foreign Office on the case.

Mr Harvey, 57, who is convinced his mother was murdered in Cancun, said: "Alistair Darling was very honest and extremely helpful, and he said he would do what he can to help.

"It's very comforting to have someone like him on board."

Mrs Howard, who lived in Roseburn, vanished from the Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort in Cancun on 16 June last year – just 12 hours after arriving – while on a two-week holiday with daughter Julia, 56, Henry, and his wife Glynnis, 55.

Her remains were found more than five weeks later in a swamp around three miles from the luxury resort.

The widow had told her family – who were sunbathing by the pool – that she was going to fetch her sun hat and then going for a walk.

But the great-grandmother of seven never completed the 35-yard walk to her room and, according to security staff at the Moon Palace, there was no record of her having left the hotel.

Apart from receiving a report – in Spanish – about the investigation from the Mexican police in November 2009, which the family had to have translated, they have not been contacted by the Mexican authorities.

Mr Harvey, a sales executive, said he even doubted whether his mother's death was still being investigated.

He added: "We have heard absolutely nothing at all from the Mexican authorities, they don't tell you anything.

"All they are interested in is their tourist industry, they are not bothered at all about my mother's death."

It was only after the family had the police report translated that they realised Mrs Howard's death was being dealt with as a possible homicide.

Mr Harvey has been researching the number of people who have died in suspicious circumstances in Cancun over the last four years, including the case of Alberta tourist Jeff Toews, 33, who was found dead at the Moon Palace in May 2007.

According to newspaper reports in Canada, Mexican police and authorities claimed Mr Toews – who had multiple head and back injuries – had a drunken fall from his second-storey balcony.

However, the reports also added that his family believed he was beaten and left for dead on the grounds of the resort, where he was staying with his wife and nine other couples.

Mr Darling said: "The family understandably want to know what happened to Mrs Howard.

"They find themselves in a very distressing position and I've taken up the case with the Foreign Secretary to try to get answers from the Mexican authorities."