Award-winning director Alejandro Monteverde and wife Ali Landry are in mourning following the deaths of Monteverde’s father and brother, TheWrap has learned.
Juan Manuel Gomez Fernandez and his son, also named Juan Manuel, were kidnapped in Tampico, Mexico, after leaving their home on Sept. 4.
The two men’s bodies were found in Veracruz, Mexico, on Sept. 19. Each had reportedly suffered severe head injuries. A ransom was paid for the pair’s release but the kidnappers didn’t keep their word, the Latin Times reported.
Landry is an actress and former Miss USA. She married Monteverde in 2006 and the couple has three children. The two frequently collaborate with actor-producer Eduardo Verástegui to bring faith-based movies to the big screen.
Monteverde, who is originally from Tampico, Mexico, wrote and directed the drama “Bella,” which won the People’s Choice Award at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival. His most recent film is “Little Boy,” which was released in April and earned $6.5 million at the U.S. box office.
Landry and Mexican-American star Verástegui often appear in Monteverde’s films.
After Verástegui received the news about his friends’ devastating loss, he took to Twitter to express his condolences. On Monday, he tweeted in Spanish, “With a heart full of pain and sadness, I ask for prayers for my friend and ‘compadre’ Alejandro Gomez Monteverde and all his family.”
Ten minutes later, he followed up by tweeting, “My deepest condolences to my soul brother, I love you so much ‘compadre,’ I put my heart in your hands and I join you in this deep pain.”