María José Alvarado Muñoz

Alvarado, 19, was last seen with her sister, 23-year-old Sofía Trinidad Hernández, at a birthday party at a spa in Santa Barbara, about 145 kilometers (90 miles) northwest of Tegucigalpa.

Their bodies were found on early Wednesday in a shallow grave near the Aguagual river in the municipality of Arada, not far from where they disappeared.

A police spokesman said Sofia’s boyfriend, Plutarco Ruiz, is believed to have killed both women on the night of their disappearance. He said two firearms and traces of blood were found in Ruiz’ vehicle, leading investigators to suspect that the car was used to transport the bodies to Arada.

María José Alvarado was crowned Miss Honduras World 2014 in San Pedro Sula on April 26, defeating eighteen other candidates to become the new Señorita Honduras 2014.

She was expected to travel to London this week to compete in the Miss World beauty pageant, which will start on Thursday and culminate in the grand final on December 14.

A police spokesman said Sofia’s boyfriend, Plutarco Ruiz, is believed to have killed both women on the night of their disappearance. He said two firearms and traces of blood were found in Ruiz’ vehicle, leading investigators to suspect that the car was used to transport the bodies to Arada

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María José Alvarado Muñoz (1995 - 2014) was an Honduran beauty queen and Miss Honduras World 2014. She was scheduled to compete at the Miss World 2014 contest in London in December 2014, but was murdered prior to the event.

In early November 2014, she and her sister disappeared after leaving a party in Santa Barbara, Honduras. According to witnesses she stepped into a car without license plates.

On November 19, the same day Alvarado was expected to travel to London, Alvarado and her sister's bodies were found. They had both been shot and buried in a field near the Aguán River in the village of Cablotales. The boyfriend of Alvarado's older sister and another man have both been arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and murder of the two sisters.