Miss Universe Contestant Wualys Aquino Dead at 23 After Securing 2nd Place in Regional Pageant
Authorities are investigating her death and have not ruled out natural causes or foul play after the 23-year-old runner-up was found in her apartment.
- On Monday, Wualys Aquino, a 23-year-old Miss Universe Tegucigalpa contestant, was found dead in her apartment in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The Miss Universe Tegucigalpa organization confirmed her death on Tuesday via Instagram.
- Beyond the pageant spotlight, Aquino was a student pursuing degrees in International Marketing and Social Work at the National Autonomous University of Honduras. She had competed in the Miss Universe Tegucigalpa competition in June, finishing as runner-up.
- Local authorities have launched an investigation into the circumstances of her death, considering both natural causes and potential foul play. Posting from a boxing studio days earlier, Aquino wrote: "Boxing isn't about winning or losing; it's about how you fight the fight within yourself to keep going when things don."
- The Miss Universe Tegucigalpa organization expressed deep sorrow on Instagram, writing: "This news has deeply affected us all, as it happened so unexpectedly." Organizers noted Aquino "never said no when it came to supporting her peers."
- Aquino's death follows recent losses in the Miss Universe community: former Miss Universe Jamaica contestant LaToya Malcolm died at 35 earlier this month, and Tyra Spaulding died at 26 in September 2025. In the United States and Canada, call or text 988 to reach the Crisis Lifeline.
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The young beauty queen of Central America, who was a candidate for Miss Universe 2026, was found lifeless by her relatives in the apartment in which she resided.
What happened to Wualys Fuentes Aquino? Miss Universe runner-up found dead in apartment at 23
Rising beauty queen Wualys Fuentes Aquino’s sudden death has left Honduras shaken, with investigators probing unanswered questions and tributes pouring in for the 23-year-old.
Miss Universe Contestant Wualys Aquino Dead at 23 After Securing 2nd Place in Regional Pageant
Wualys Aquino, who competed to be Miss Universe Tegucigalpa pageant in Honduras, has died. She was 23. “The Miss Universe Tegucigalpa organization deeply mourns the passing of our runner-up, Wualys Aquino,” the organization wrote via Instagram on Tuesday, July 21, originally in Spanish and translated in English by Us. “We wish to express our condolences to […]
The 23-year-old Honduran model Wulays Suseth Fuentes Aquino, a candidate for Miss Universe Tegucigalpa 2026, was found dead in her apartment in Tegucigalpa, capital of Honduras, on Monday (20). According to local authorities, family members decided to go to the property after days without getting contact with the young woman and found her lifeless. The police opened investigation and informed that they work both with the crime hypothesis and wit…
Wualys Suseth Fuentes Aquino, 23, held the title of Viceroyalty of Miss Universe Tegucigalpa 2026
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