After an additional protest event on January 4, 1993 drew 800 indigenous people from Chenalho as well as from seven other municipalities, the state's attorney finally released the five prisoners on January 7 because of "'disappearance of evidence,' meaning that the evidence offered in the case could not be considered legally valid, perhaps because it had been fabricated in the first place."
Following a second protest demonstration by indigenous people from Chenalho and seven other towns on January 4, 1993, which drew 800 participants, the state's attorney released the five prisoners on January 7 due to "lack of evidence," suggesting that the presented evidence might have been fabricated or unreliable.