ICE Detains 38-Year-Old Argentine in Oregon Over 2023 Agostina Jalabert Femicide

Q: What chilling forensic clues convinced investigators that the model's tragic death was actually a calculated murder?

Investigators determined Agostina Jalabert’s death was a staged homicide, not suicide, because the physical evidence did not match the scene in which she was found. Mexican prosecutors said Jalabert was discovered hanging from a towel rack, but forensic findings led them to rule out suicide and treat the case as femicide. Authorities say the scene appeared to have been arranged after the killing to simulate self-harm. Reporting tied to the case says investigators believe Juan Manuel Reverter killed her and then left her hanging to support that false appearance. The most disturbing clues were the injuries on Jalabert’s body. Her family and later reporting described evidence that she had been beaten, strangled, burned and otherwise abused before death. Those injuries were inconsistent with a simple hanging and suggested a violent assault. Prosecutors have also said forensic evidence indicates the suspect was inside the apartment when she was killed. That account was reinforced by witness evidence. A building guard reported hearing screams and disturbances from the apartment the night she died, further undermining any suicide theory. Taken together — the mismatch between the body’s injuries and the hanging scene, signs the bathroom setup was staged, and evidence placing the boyfriend in the apartment — investigators concluded Jalabert was the victim of a calculated murder.

2 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 3

ICE said Juan Manuel Reverter, 38, was arrested July 23 in Deschutes County, Oregon, with U.S. Marshals after Mexico sought him in the 2023 killing of Argentine model Agostina Jalabert.
Jalabert, 31, was found dead in her Playa del Carmen apartment bathroom in February 2023, and Mexican authorities later ruled out suicide and concluded the case was femicide.
Reverter entered the United States in August 2024 on a six-month visa and overstayed, ICE said, while Mexico issued an arrest warrant for him in November 2025.
The case drew calls for justice across Argentina and Mexico after reports of screams from the apartment and prosecutors' assertion that the suspect was inside when the killing occurred.