Killing of Werner Luchsinger and Vivianne Mackay

Overview

The Luchsinger-Mackay case concerns the deaths of Werner Luchsinger, 75, and his wife Vivianne Mackay, 69, in the Araucanía Region of Chile. The couple died on January 4, 2013, after their house in Vilcún was set on fire in an arson attack. Their deaths occurred within the broader context of the Mapuche conflict, a long-running dispute over land and indigenous rights in southern Chile.

The Attack

On the morning of January 4, 2013, Luchsinger and Mackay were awakened by a group of individuals who began setting fire to their house. Luchsinger reportedly armed himself with a revolver in response, while Mackay attempted to call family members and police for help. The couple's son arrived at the scene shortly afterward, followed by firefighters. Firefighters found the couple's charred bodies inside the house.

Investigation and Arrest

During the night of the attack, police arrested a machi (a traditional Mapuche spiritual authority) named Celestino Córdova, then 26 years old, approximately 1,750 meters from the site of the fire. Córdova had a gunshot wound to his leg, which was initially attributed to having been inflicted by Luchsinger's revolver. However, this attribution was not proven in court.

Judicial Proceedings

The Temuco court that heard the case rejected the prosecution's characterization of the attack as terrorism but nonetheless found Córdova guilty on February 20, 2014. He remains the only person prosecuted in connection with the deaths.

In September 2017, Roberto Garrido, the prosecutor of La Araucanía region, confirmed that investigators had found a connection between members of an organization called Weichán Auka Mapu and the Luchsinger-Mackay case. This conclusion followed ongoing investigations that indicated the involvement of at least 25 individuals in the attack. The prosecutor stated at the time that these investigations were continuing.

Sources and Limitations