For decades, the disappearance of 8-year-old twins Manuela and Isabella Herrera haunted the city of San Luis Pod, Mexico. What began as an ordinary afternoon at a popular sports club in 1987 slowly unraveled into one of the country’s most chilling true crime cases—a story of betrayal, hidden evidence, relentless pursuit, and a horrifying discovery inside a forgotten blue water tank.
On March 15, 1987, the Herrera sisters attended their regular swimming class at the Águila Dorado Sports Club. Their coach, Estabbon Morales, was well-respected, known for his strict training methods and seemingly warm demeanor toward his students. That day, only Isabella returned home. Her twin sister, Manuela, had vanished without a trace.
At first, the club claimed both girls left together at 4:30 p.m. Morales backed the story, saying he saw them exit the changing rooms. Police launched a search, but the sprawling sports facility yielded nothing. Manuela’s father hired private investigators and offered a reward, plastering his daughter’s face across the city. But despite exhaustive efforts, there were no leads.
There were troubling signs early on. Both girls had complained about Morales’s “extra sessions” and said he made them uncomfortable. Several parents quietly voiced concerns about his behavior, mentioning private lessons behind closed doors and inappropriate physical contact disguised as “technique correction.” But in 1987, few were willing to challenge a respected coach.
Detective Laura Mendoza noticed inconsistencies in Morales’s statements. A cleaning staff member recalled seeing him near a storage area with wet clothes that evening—an odd detail that went unreported for years. Morales’s demeanor during questioning was cooperative but uneasy, with gaps in his alibis that raised eyebrows but didn’t amount to hard evidence.
For years, the case remained unsolved. The club drained pools, searched its grounds, and even excavated certain areas. Nothing. Morales moved to Mexico City in 1990, and the Herrera family tried to rebuild their lives. But tragedy struck again 17 years later.
In September 2004, Isabella, now an adult, returned to San Luis Pod to visit family. She disappeared from her hotel after meeting Morales, who had contacted her claiming he possessed crucial information about Manuela’s fate. Surveillance showed her leaving at 10:30 p.m. She never returned. Morales vanished from his home the same night.
The investigation reignited. Special agent Miguel Santana led a federal task force, uncovering Morales’s history of being dismissed from multiple clubs over “methodology disputes.” Parents had repeatedly complained about his behavior, but systemic failures allowed him to continue working with children.
For years, the case stalled again—until 2008. Former maintenance technician Antonio Ramírez came forward, revealing Morales’s unusual obsession with a large blue Fort Lev water tank in the storage area. Morales had insisted that only he maintain it and kept the key. Investigators secured a search warrant.
On October 15, 2008, forensic teams opened the tank. Inside, wrapped in tarps, were skeletal remains of two children, swimsuits, and an old analog camera with several tapes. DNA confirmed the remains were Isabella and Manuela Herrera. The camera’s footage revealed Morales’s systematic abuse of multiple children, including the twins, from 1986 to 1987.
One tape showed March 13, 1987—two days before Manuela disappeared. It captured a violent assault that ended in her accidental death. Morales panicked, hiding her body in the tank. Another tape from 2004 revealed he blackmailed Isabella with these old recordings before killing her to silence her permanently.
Morales fled Mexico but was tracked to Guatemala, living under a false identity. He was captured in March 2009 and extradited to Mexico. Confronted with overwhelming evidence, including his own recordings, he confessed. The trial in October 2009 shocked the nation. Parents, survivors, and experts testified, exposing decades of negligence and abuse.
On December 18, 2009, Morales received two life sentences plus 40 years for child abuse. But the story didn’t end there. Carmen Vásquez, the twins’ mother, had spent years navigating legal systems, searching, and mourning. In prison, Morales’s health mysteriously declined. Later investigations suggested Carmen, through medical connections, had found a way to secretly administer digoxin during academic visits. Morales died of cardiac arrest in 2011, officially ruled natural causes. Carmen never confessed, but many believed justice had finally come full circle.
The Herrera case led to sweeping reforms in Mexico. Sports instructors now face stricter background checks and constant supervision. Missing children investigations became more coordinated, involving specialized task forces and international cooperation. The sports club was transformed into a memorial park. Carmen lived to see these changes before passing away in 2015, buried beside her daughters.
The blue water tank that concealed the truth for 23 years became a symbol: a reminder that even the safest spaces can hide unimaginable horrors, and that one mother’s refusal to stay silent can change an entire system.
