Gabriel Trujillo, a 31-year-old doctoral candidate at the University of California, Berkeley, dedicated four years of his life to researching the common buttonbush, a flowering shrub found across North America. His quest to understand the plant's adaptability and its potential for habitat restoration took him from Canada to Mexico. Tragically, his research was abruptly halted in Sonora, Mexico, where he was found deceased on June 22nd, days after being reported missing by his fiancée. Mexican authorities discovered his body inside his SUV, having suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
Trujillo crossed the border from Arizona into Nogales, Mexico on June 17th. After communicating with his father the following day and his fiancée, Roxanne Cruz-de Hoyos, on the morning of the 19th, he embarked on a plant-collecting trip, promising to return to his Airbnb. When he failed to return and stopped responding to communication, Cruz-de Hoyos flew to Mexico to search for him. The discovery of his body several days later left his family devastated and demanding answers from both U.S. and Mexican authorities. The Sonora state prosecutor’s office has confirmed they are investigating the circumstances surrounding Trujillo's death.
Trujillo's research focused on the resilience of the common buttonbush across diverse environments, hoping to apply his findings to conservation efforts, particularly wetland restoration using the plant. He planned to create a garden in Mexico, incorporating his research. His fiancée, a postdoctoral fellow researching tree mortality, often accompanied him on research trips in their shared van. Both were deeply committed to environmental conservation, recognizing the long-standing stewardship of Indigenous communities.
Trujillo's connection to the region held personal significance as he sought to explore his Opata Indigenous heritage through the group’s ancestral lands in Sonora. He and Cruz-de Hoyos, who shared Nahua Indigenous ancestry, planned to weave their cultural identities into their scientific pursuits. They were making plans for their future, including starting a family, purchasing a home, and getting married in a ceremony officiated by an Indigenous elder. Now, Cruz-de Hoyos will instead honor Trujillo with a Danza Azteca ceremony in the San Francisco Bay Area, following a funeral Mass in Michigan.
Remembered as a passionate ecologist and advocate for diversity in science, Trujillo’s untimely death leaves a void in the scientific community. His curiosity and dedication to understanding the natural world were evident from a young age. His father recalled a childhood project where Trujillo described himself as a stapler, a poignant metaphor for his role in connecting people and ideas. He leaves behind a legacy of scientific inquiry and a deep commitment to environmental stewardship.
