The body of Mexican journalist Julio Valdivia was found beheaded on Wednesday, newspaper El Mundo reported.
Valdivia, 44, covered a rural zone near the border with Oaxaca state, an area long plagued by gang violence, and was known for his "nota roja" (red news) reporting—a style of journalism popular in Mexico that focuses on crime.
According to El Mundo, Valdivia's body was found near his motorcycle on the railroad tracks in Motzorongo, in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz. A newspaper staff member told Reuters his body appeared to have been tortured.
According to news website La Silla Rota, Valdiva's last report saw him send a series of images to his newspaper.
Valdivia is the sixth journalist to be killed in Mexico this year.
The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the terrible events and issued an urgent call for authorities to identify those responsibly.
More than 140 journalists have been killed in Mexico over the past 20 years.
With inputs from PTI
