Who Am I

My name is Emily Ross. I am a daughter who never asked to walk this path, a woman shaped by tragedy, and a voice for justice. I didn’t choose this role—it was chosen for me when my father, Rogelio Guerra Vasquez, brutally murdered my mother, Sugie Vasquez, on May 16, 1997. This is the reality he created for me. He made me a survivor, an advocate, and a person who must fight every day to keep my mother’s story alive. But I am, above all, just a daughter who loved—and still loves—her momma so much. And I made a choice—I chose not to be silent.

This website was fueled by a devastating blow—Rogelio’s family publicly listed him as a surviving sibling in an obituary for his sister. After 27 years, not a peep from them, this act was not only a painful reminder that they have known where he is all along but also a stark reflection of how little they valued my mom. They treated her as if she meant nothing to them while she was alive, and even after her death at his hands, they continue to protect him. If Rogelio had taken accountability for what he did, 27 years ago, I wouldn’t be doing this. This exists because of his actions and the continued complicity of those who shield him from justice.

I didn’t ask to be a child growing up in the shadows of abuse. I didn’t ask to see my mother controlled, silenced, and stripped of her freedom by a man who should have loved her. I didn’t ask to spend my childhood watching her suffer in fear, unable to leave the four corners of our yard because of his control. I didn’t ask to be 14 years old, helpless to protect her, when my father made the decision to end her life.

I didn’t ask to live in a world where holidays feel empty, where the yearning for my mother’s advice is met with silence, and where my children have to grow up without their grandmother. While his family watches their children grow old, my mother wasn’t given that chance. She wasn’t allowed to grow old. I didn’t ask for any of this, but it is the life HE chose for me.

HE chose to rob me of my mother and to leave me with a lifetime of pain and questions. HE chose to burden me with the trauma of her death and the memories of abuse that defined our home. HE chose to flee, leaving a trail of devastation behind him. For 27 years, he has lived his life, in Mexico, ALIVE, BREATHING! While I’ve had to fight to make sure my mother isn’t forgotten.

When I turned 38 years old, the same age my mother was when she was murdered, that milestone, instead of being a celebration, was a painful reminder of the life she didn’t get to live. I remember when I was a little girl thinking 30s and 40s were so old, but now I see them as a time when life is just getting started—a new season full of potential and opportunities. She had her whole life ahead of her—a chance to start fresh, to build a life free from abuse, to create a future full of hope and possibilities. I started a new career around that same age, and it pains me to know that my mother could have done the same. She was ready to begin again, to reclaim her life, but instead, her chance was stolen from her.

This website is not just about Rogelio or the tragedy he left behind. It’s about my mother, Sugie, and the justice she deserves. It’s about giving her back the voice that was stolen from her and revealing the tangled web of lies and deceit that spread far beyond family members. 27 years of silence is cruel. Here is a small example: about three years after Rogelio murdered my mother, I called his sister Elsa on the phone, bawling my eyes out and asked her, "Where’s Rogelio at?" She responded with so much hatred in her voice, "Why are you still looking for him?" I was shocked and said, "Because he murdered MY MOM, why wouldn’t I be?" The disregard and cruelty in her words cut deep. To them, it was as though her life meant nothing, both before and after she was taken. But to me, she was MY EVERYTHINIG. He took the one thing no one can ever replace —the person who loved me unconditionally, the irreplaceable bond of a mother’s love.

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Through this platform, I will ensure her story is heard, her life is honored, and the truth is brought to light. For too long, my father’s family has shielded him, living their lives as if nothing happened, while my mother’s life was erased from this world.

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To my father’s siblings: As each of you passes away with the knowledge of any information or concealment, you will face the ultimate judgment. When you get to the pearly white gates, you will have to answer to God, who sees and knows all things. You may have shielded Rogelio in this life, but you cannot hide the truth from Him. I take solace in knowing that my mom, standing beside God, will see your actions for what they were. She will know the suffering your silence caused, and I like to think she will finally get to confront you for it.

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Because that Friday night, instead of running to shield and protect us, to tell us what Rogelio had done, and to turn him in, you all gathered around and had a "Vasquez Meeting" to shield and protect him. Do you know what I was doing on Saturday, not knowing what had happened, while you all stayed silent? I was 14 years old—a child. You all knew what he had done for over 24 hours, but I didn’t find out until Sunday morning as they were pulling my mom’s body out of the pond. The disregard and cruelty you displayed, choosing him over justice for my mother, remains seared into my memory. And let me be clear—NO, he did NOT catch my mom in bed with another man! That is a lie he told to justify his actions (THERE IS NO JUSTIFATION). She was leaving him again that morning, just like we had done in March. She was reclaiming her life, taking control, and he couldn’t stand it. That’s the truth you shielded, and that’s the truth I will never let be erased.

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If you know where my father is or have any information about his whereabouts, I beg you to speak up. Your silence enables the pain and injustice to continue. As the Bible says in Proverbs 31:8-9, "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." You have the power to do what is right.

I promise you this: if you come forward with the truth, you will remain anonymous. If you are in the US and not a United States citizen or are here without documentation, you will not face deportation. If your reading this in Mexico the reward will still be sent to you. My only goal is to bring my father to justice and to honor my mother’s memory.

Help me find peace. Help us bring justice for my mom, for me, and for every woman who has been silenced by violence. Let Sugie’s story be a reminder that no life should be forgotten, and no victim’s voice should remain unheard.

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