In March 2010, four-year-old Paulette Gebara Farah vanished from her bedroom in an upscale apartment in Huixquilucan, sending shockwaves across Mexico. Her parents appeared on television pleading for help. Authorities launched an intensive search. Detectives, forensic teams, search dogs, and members of the media moved through the apartment repeatedly. Cameras documented nearly every development. The case dominated national headlines.
For nine days, investigators insisted Paulette had disappeared without a trace.
Search teams examined closets, bathrooms, hallways — and her bedroom. Officers stated the room had been inspected multiple times. At one point, relatives and even officials were reported to have sat or rested on the very bed where she slept. The possibility that she had been inside the apartment all along seemed unthinkable.
Then came the revelation that stunned the country.
On the ninth day, Paulette’s body was discovered wedged between her mattress and the foot of her bed, partially concealed by bedding. The announcement triggered immediate disbelief. How could a child remain in the same room that had been searched so thoroughly? How did trained investigators miss what was, ultimately, just inches away?
The Attorney General of the State of Mexico at the time, Alberto Bazbaz Sacal, initially suggested possible homicide before later concluding the death was accidental, attributing it to asphyxiation caused by an unfortunate positional entrapment. The shifting explanations fueled public skepticism. Critics questioned the integrity of the investigation, citing inconsistencies in official statements and the highly public nature of the search process. Weeks later, Bazbaz resigned amid mounting pressure and public scrutiny.
Despite the official ruling of accidental death, many in Mexico remain unconvinced. The case continues to be discussed in documentaries, investigative reports, and online forums more than a decade later. For some, it represents investigative failure. For others, it remains a mystery clouded by procedural errors and public missteps.
No one was ever charged.
And one haunting question continues to linger: if she was there all along, how was she not found?