A missing 17-year-old girl has been found in a shallow grave with signs of having been beaten before being buried alive. The body of Agustina Imvinkelried was found on Sunday after the teenager vanished following a visit to a nightclub near the city of Esperanza in the northeastern Argentine province of Santa Fe. According to reports, she was seen getting into a man's car, identified as 39-year-old Pablo Trionfini, who is the main suspect in the crime. However, when the authorities went to his home he had reportedly hanged himself. Police found muddied boots at his home.
Meanwhile, the teen's body was found half-naked with ripped clothing, although autopsy results confirmed that she had not been raped. The soil was found in her lungs, indicating that she was buried alive and died in agony. Reports said that her face was badly bruised and there were signs that she tried to defend herself from a possible sex attack. The motive for the murder is not yet clear as there had been no previous contact between the suspect and the teenage victim, according to local media. Family members and local residents staged a protest in the city demanding justice for the young victim. The investigation continues.