(Facebook)
DNA tests proved this week that the remains found near a drug-ridden Mexican coastal town were those of Harry Devert, a 32-year-old stock trader from New York. Devert was on a trans-Latin American motorcycle trip from the United States to Brazil went he went missing in Mexico’s Guerrero state in January.
Here is what you need to know:
1. He Was Riding Down to the World Cup in Brazil
According to the New York Daily News, Devert was 44 days into a motorcycle trip across Latin America. The journey was supposed to be a winding exploratory trip that ultimately ended in Brazil in time for the 2014 World Cup.
2. He Disappeared on January 25, 2014
In late January, Devert was riding his motorcycle along the Mexican coast, reportedly searching for the beach where the final scene of The Shawshank Redemption was filmed in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero. Then, on January 25, he went missing.
3. His Remains Were Found Wrapped in Bags Near Zihuatanejo
In early July, Mexican authorities discovered Devert’s motorcycle and human remains wrapped in plastic bags and half-buried 17 miles outside of Zihuatanejo in the town of Lagunillas.
The remains were sent to a nearby morgue. His mother was contacted in Pelham, New York, and asked to provide DNA.
4. Devert Was an Experienced World Traveler
(Facebook)
Devert was far from an inexperienced traveler. According to the Daily News, he had spent the last five years traveling the world, and pictures from his Facebook page show him camel riding near the border of India and Pakistan. The Daily Mail reports that he had once been threatened by a man with a gun while traveling in Venezuela.
5. Bags of Weed & Cocaine Were Found Near His Body
Mexican authorities said they found 10 bags of marijuana and cocaine near Devert’s body. The state of Guerrero is infamous for its drug violence and has worked its way up to becoming one of the most dangerous regions of Mexico.
Spring 2014 has also seen an uptick in murders in the region, with 20 reported homicides being reported during a two-week period in May 2014.