Former Miss Venezuela shot dead in robbery

Mónica Spear along with ex-husband were laid to rest in an emotional service.

Friends and family bid adieu to former beauty queen Mónica Spear Mootz and her ex-husband Thomas Henry Berry on January 10, after the two were shot and killed near Puerto Cabello, Venezuela. In what is considered to be a tragic symbol of Venezuela’s crime woes, the former couple’s bodies, along with their injured five-year-old daughter Maya, were found following an attempted robbery, reported The Guardian and dailymail.co.uk.

In an emotional funeral service that took place in Caracas, Venezuela, the two were laid to rest together.

Maya, who was shot in her right leg, had been expected to attend her parents’ funeral, but didn’t as family members decided it may be too traumatic for her.

“She knows she has been injured and that her mom and dad have gone, but we have not gone into too much detail,” said her maternal grandfather Rafael Spear.

Mónica, who won the title of Miss Venezuela in 2004, became a leading television presenter and telenovela (soap) actor after she gave up her crown. According to Thomas’ Facebook page, he was a travel company boss from London. The couple divorced in 2013, but remained on cordial terms and maintained close ties with Venezuela. Although they were not living together, family members said they were on the verge of reigniting their romance.

The Venezuelan beauty had returned to the country from her new home in Miami for a working holiday. She shared in an earlier interview that she moved to the United States due to fears of crime in her hometown.

Five adults have been arrested over the murders of Mónica and Thomas, and their mug shots have been released by police in Venezuela.

Thousands of fans took to Twitter to express their condolences over the demise of the beauty queen, who endorses ‘peace and love’ in her Twitter profile bio. Rafael hopes that his daughter’s death lends impetus to change in a country that has one of the highest murder rates in the world. “Things have to change. We have to stop killing each other. I hope her death serves to eliminate this senseless violence,” he said.

Descanse en paz, Mónica and Thomas.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 13^th, 2014.

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