John Clay Walker (October 5, 1948 – January 30, 1985) was an American journalist and aspiring novelist who was abducted, tortured and murdered in Mexico by members of the

Guadalajara Cartel The Guadalajara Cartel ( es, Cártel de Guadalajara) also known as The Federation ( es, La Federación, link=no) was a Mexican drug cartel which was formed in the late 1970s by Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, Rafael Caro Quintero, and Ernesto Fo ...

under orders of their leader

Rafael Caro Quintero Rafael Caro Quintero (born October 24, 1952) is a Mexican drug lord who co-founded the now-disintegrated Guadalajara Cartel with Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo and other drug traffickers in the late 1970s. He is the brother of fellow drug traffi ...

. Caro Quintero suspected Walker of working as an undercover U.S. Drug Enforcement Agent (DEA) while he lived in Guadalajara, Jalisco.

Early life and career

John Clay Walker was born in Washington D.C. at Walter Reed Hospital. In 1968, Walker enlisted in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

. He was honorably discharged after being wounded twice in Vietnam, for which he received two

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...

s. Taking advantage of the

G.I. Bill The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the G.I. Bill, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in 1956, bu ...

, Walker attended the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...

and earned a B.A. in Journalism in 1976. Throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, Walker worked as a reporter and photographer at small papers in

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

and

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...

. In 1983, Walker and his family relocated to Guadalajara, Mexico for a sabbatical year so that Walker could pursue a career as a novelist full-time. On January 30, 1985, John Walker and his friend Albert Radelat were planning on going to dinner at a Guadalajara restaurant when they accidentally walked into one of Rafael Caro Quintero's private parties. The two Americans were mistaken for DEA agents and taken to a store room. There they were interrogated and tortured with ice picks. Walker died on the scene from blunt force trauma to the head. Radelat was still alive when the men were wrapped in table cloths and taken to the San Isidro Mazatepec Park in

Zapopan Zapopan () is a city and municipality located in the Mexican state of Jalisco. Part of the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area, the population of Zapopan city proper makes it the second largest city in the state, very close behind the population of ...

and buried. The bodies of the men were found six months later. The authorities believe that Caro Quintero had mistaken Walker and Radelat for U.S. undercover agents. Walker is survived by his wife and two daughters. He is buried at Ft. Snelling National Cemetery in

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

, Minnesota.

In popular culture

Walker was portrayed in the series '' Narcos: Mexico'' by Brian Buckley. His murder is depicted in the 7th episode, "Jefe de Jefes".

References

1948 births 1985 deaths American torture victims American people murdered abroad Assassinated American journalists American male journalists Journalists killed in the Mexican Drug War 20th-century American writers 20th-century American journalists 20th-century American male writers People from Washington, D.C. {{US-journalist-1940s-stub

Early life and career

In popular culture

See also

References