Mexican mayor found dead

NBC News — A former Mexican mayor who had shrugged off earlier attempts on her life has been found dead in a field. Police say the body of 36 year old Maria Santos Gorrostieta Salazar was found in an empty lot alongside a busy highway.

Officials say that it appears Salazar was murdered, her family reported her missing three days ago. Salazar was the former mayor of Tiquicheo, an area where local criminal groups are battling for control. More than 20 mayors have been murdered in Mexico in the past six years.