Activist mother of missing man is killed in Mexico

A mother, whose son is missing, wears a mask over her mouth with a message that reads in Spanish; "Where are they?," during the National March for Dignity on the day Mexicans celebrate Mother's Day, in Mexico City, Saturday, May 10, 2014. Mothers and other relatives of persons gone missing in the fight against drug cartels and organized crime are demanding that authorities locate their loved ones.

Like many other mothers in Mexico, Sandra Luz Hernandez refused to give up looking for her son. Last week she was killed for her activism.

Amid ongoing drug and gang violence, thousands of people who have gone missing in Mexico in recent years.

Relatives of the missing have often felt the need to take matters into their own hands because the government has been unresponsive to their pleas for help.

Sandra Luz Hernadez was one mother who for years had been searching for answers about her missing son. This week she was shot and killed by masked gunmen. Those who knew her believe her activism led to her death.

Tracy Wilkinson of the Los Angeles Times wrote about Sandra Luz Hernandez's story this week, and she joins the show to talk about her life and work.