New theory after Aussie mum vanished in Mexico, with child found outside church

Police have shared a grim new theory about the fate of an Australian woman after her toddler was found wandering the streets alone in Mexico.

Investigators have reportedly established two main theories after a Queensland mum vanished in Mexico, with one of the lines of inquiry hinged off possible cartel links.

A major investigation was launched when Tahnee Shanks, 32, vanished along with her partner Jorge Luis Aguirre Astudillo in Cancun at the start of May.

Their two-year-old daughter, Adelynn, was found wandering the streets alone and barefoot outside a church in Cancun.

The child is now living with her grandmother and aunt in Brisbane, after Ms Shanks’ family travelled to Mexico to retrieve her.

Ms Shanks, originally from the Whitsundays, had been living in Mexico for nine years at the time of her disappearance.

Whitsundays woman Tahnee Shanks, with Jorge Luis Aguirre Astudillo and their daughter Adelynn. Picture: Facebook

Ms Shanks was last seen on May 2. Picture: Supplied

Investigators are new desperately trying to piece together what happened, with the couple both seen alive for the last time in the state of Quintana Roo.

Quintana Roo general attorney Óscar Montes de Oca Rosales told Nine’s 60 Minutes that law enforcement was investigating possible links between her partner Mr Astudillo and the Mexican cartel.

Mr de Oca Rosales revealed authorities were investigating whether the couple’s disappearance could be “payback for Jorge’s dirty dealing” due to possible criminal links.

“It could be just retaliation for the criminal groups that he was involved with,” he told the program.

“According to the law, we consider them as alive and that’s the way we look for them until something is shown to be different.”

The second line of inquiry being pursued by investigators is that Ms Shanks was a victim of domestic violence and that Mr Astudillo was now on the run or in hiding.

The couple were last seen on May 2, checking out of their hotel in Cancun with Adelynn. CCTV captured their car, a white Toyota Tundra, leaving Cancun and heading back towards their home in Merida at about 11.30am.

After travelling almost 20 kilometres, the vehicle was captured doing a U-turn and heading back towards Cancun before taking a detour off the highway.

The last time a phone signal was picked up from the car was just after midday, leaving about an eight hour period of from when the car was spotted through the first toll road to Adelynn being found at the church.

The car was captured on CCTV leaving a hotel in Cancun. Picture: 60 Minutes/Channel 9

The vehicle was later found burnt out. Picture: 60 Minutes/Channel 9

The car was later found burnt out in the town of Puerto Morelos with the number plates removed and serial numbers ground off.

Police were able to confirm it was the family’s car from the shadow of four numbers that were still visible.

Mr de Oca Rosales said Ms Shanks had been cleared of any criminal links, but her partner is an “alleged fraudster” who has previously been accused of selling fake holiday packages.

He revealed that Mr Astudillo had been threatened in the past.

“What I can say is well maybe they were being followed and that’s why they turned around and took the secondary road,” Mr de Oca Rosales told 60 Minutes.

“(Jorge) had been threatened before and he even had hired a bodyguard … and he was afraid for his life.”

Adelynn was found abandoned outside a church in Mexico. Picture: Facebook

Tahnee Shanks and Jorge Aguirre Estudillo haven’t been heard from or seen in weeks. Picture: Facebook

Text messages before mum vanished

A friend of Ms Shanks has revealed a series of unsettling messages she sent just weeks before disappearing in early May.

The texts, shared by the Daily Mercury, reveal she had asked a friend to remember the name of her partner, while trying to justify her odd request.

“I know this is gunna sound weird but keep (his) name. Jorge Luis Aguirre Astudillo! Just in case anything happens to me they can go after him,” she wrote

“Not that anything will! But I just want to keep that as a backup.”

Ms Shanks sent this strange text to her friend a few weeks before she went missing in Mexico. Picture: Supplied

Ms Shanks’ brother, Daniel Shanks, recently told Sunrise his family’s first thought was that Mr Astudillo was involved in the disappearance.

“I’m assuming he’s dumped the car and got some other form of transport, and he’s on the run,” Mr Shanks told the program.

“So if he’s capable of doing that to his daughter, well, that’s what we’re so worried about.”

However, authorities have said both Ms Shanks and Mr Astudillo are being treated as victims.

“At this time, both are victims, they are missing persons, later maybe we can determine if he is responsible for something, so far he is a victim,” Mr de Oca Rosales said.

He said authorities were now trying to piece together the last movements of the family and figure out why they turned around and went back to Cancun.

“We are analysing videos and the chronology of events,” he said.

“They were visiting Cancun for one day, made an hotel reservation, then they went back to Merida, but on the road decided to come back to Cancun, and that is when the girl’s event takes place.”