After almost three weeks of searching, former Miss USA Ali Landry’s in-laws have been found dead in Mexico. Very few details have yet to be released on the father and brother of her husband, acclaimed filmmaker Alejandro Gómez Monteverde.

According to Veracruz state prosecutor Luis Angel Bravo Contreras, Juan Manuel Gómez Fernéndez and his son, Juan Manuel Gómez Monteverde, had suffered severe brain trauma and passed away several days before they were found in rural El Chachalaco in northern Veracruz. They were kidnapped near their home in Tamaulipas on September 4.

Authorities had suspected that the disappearances were gang-related, according to The Latin Times, as Tamaulipas, the town in which they were kidnapped, is known for its organized crime. Monteverde’s brother, Juan Manuel, was also an investor in a local restaurant that was alleged to have been involved with the cartel. Their disappearance was filed with Mexico’s organized crime investigations unit, SEIDO.

A ransom had even been paid to the people believed to be responsible for the kidnapping, according to Televisa news, but the two men were never released.

Tampico native Eduardo Verástegui, who produced Alejandro’s film Little Boy, tweeted out sentiments to the family: “With a heart full of pain and sadness, I ask for prayers for my friend and ‘compadre’ Alejandro Gomez Monteverde and all his family. 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.”

Landry was crowned Miss USA in 1996 and married Monteverde in 2006. The two have three children, Estela Inez (8), Marcelo Alejandra (3) and Valentine Francesco (2).

The Veracruz Attorney General’s Office released a statement promising the continued investigation into the matter, starting with forensic testing on a car believed to have been used by the kidnappers.