Who was Dorian Herrera? What we know about Jesus Ociel Baena and his partner as Mexico's first non-binary magistrate is found dead

On the morning of November 13, Jesus Ociel Baena was found dead at their residence, in the Mexican central city of Aguascalientes, in the Punta del Cielo neighborhood. As per AP News, they were the country’s first openly non-binary magistrate and an influential LGBTQ+ advocate.

Jesus Ociel Baena succumbed to stab wounds. Dorian Herrera, Baena's partner, was also found dead from similar injuries alongside them. As per the news outlet, the duo received death threats in the weeks leading up to their deaths.

So far, it remains unclear whether the couple was murdered. However, Federal Security Secretary Rosa Icela Rodriguez said during a press conference that the investigation was ongoing and it was still a mystery whether “it was a homicide or… some kind of an accident.”

As per the state’s attorney general's office, two razor blades were found at the scene and preliminary reports suggested that the deaths could have been crimes of passion, reported Info Bae. The lifeless bodies of the couple were discovered by their cleaning personnel and the magistrate’s assigned escort who had to use an emergency key to enter the residence.

Following reports from authorities that the deaths might have been suicides, a number of people peacefully protested in the Mexican capital on Monday night, calling for immediate justice.

It is noteworthy that the surveillance camera outside Baena’s house revealed that they entered the home with their partner past midnight, and no third person was seen trespassing, as per Milenio.

---

All you need to know about Jesus Ociel Baena’s partner Dorian Herrera

According to Milenio, Jesus Ociel Baena and Dorian Herrera shared a romantic relationship for the last three years. Herrera was 37 years old at the time of his death and was a lawyer.

Before becoming an attorney, Herrera was a model and even became Mr. Model Mexico in Aguascalientes in 2012. The news outlet also reported that Herrera originally hailed from Mexico City, and had an Instagram account with the handle @doget25.

---

Exploring the life and career of Jesus Ociel Baena

The 38-year-old Jesus Ociel Baena was a Mexican activist, LGBTQ+ advocate, and the nation’s first openly non-binary electoral magistrate at the State Electoral Court of Aguascalientes.

Born and raised in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico, Baena attended the Faculty of Jurisprudence at the Autonomous University of Coahuila where they earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in constitutional law and government policies. Later, they also earned a doctorate in electoral law from the Autonomous University of Durango, as per CNN.

They worked as an electoral secretary at the National Electoral Institute, followed by a professor of electoral law at the Autonomous University of Aguascalientes, before becoming a magistrate in October 2022. They became the first openly non-binary person in Latin America to acquire a judicial position, as per BBC.

In June 2023, Baena received one of the first gender-neutral passports, voter ID, and birth certificate. Around the same time, they tweeted that they were “not interested in being seen as either a woman or a man.” Meanwhile, last month, the electoral court gave Baena a certificate recognizing them with the gender-neutral noun “maestre.”

Jesus Ociel Baena declared themselves as non-binary. (Image via X/ocielbaena)

On the night before their death, Baena was at a round table in Oaxaca, where they talked about LGBTQ+ rights and advocated on behalf of trans children, same-s*x marriages, and gender-identity recognition, as reported by Mexico News Daily.