Disclaimer: All facts gleaned from the filings stated hereafter are only as truthful as the petitioner. The tone of this article expresses a style of writing historically employed by America’s greatest writers and, as such, is for opinion purposes only. No intentional harm is due. Do not read if the topic of divorce (even your own) causes you emotional distress. Continue at your own risk.
The quiet unraveling of a marriage that once spanned continents has now found its way into the Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis. On March 7, 2025, Maria Auxiliadora Funez Ordonez filed a petition for dissolution of marriage against Wilmer Josue Rivera Gutierrez, formally seeking to end a union that began on January 31, 2004, in Villanueva, Cortes, Honduras. After years of separation since 2018, Maria now stands before the court, contending that their marriage is irretrievably broken.
Maria, who has resided in Missouri for over 90 days prior to filing, asserts that Wilmer’s presence has been a specter rather than a reality. His current address is unknown, and his role in their children’s lives has been defined more by absence than presence. The petition outlines Wilmer’s failure to provide support, both financial and emotional, for their children, leaving Maria to shoulder the responsibilities alone.
Citing neglect and abandonment, Maria seeks sole legal and physical custody of their children, asserting that Wilmer has neither engaged in consistent communication nor contributed to their well-being. She further requests the court to adopt her proposed parenting plan and grant special findings that would determine the eligibility of the children for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, emphasizing that returning to Honduras would place them in a precarious situation with no suitable caretaker.
Maria is represented in this matter by her attorney, Patrick J. Helling, whose advocacy now stands between the past and the future of this fractured family. As the case unfolds, the court will determine not only the dissolution of this marriage but the fate of two children who have long lived in the shadows of abandonment.
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