Authorities have found the burned body of a transgender beauty queen who was reported missing in Mexico a month ago.

Investigators are now looking into whether Paulett Gonzalez, who was born Luis Jean Gonzalez Virgen, was killed in a hate crime.

The 24-year-old was crowned the winner of the Gay Beauty Queen pageant in the western Mexican state of Nayarit last year.

Authorities have found the burned body of transgender beauty queen Paulett Gonzalez, who had been missing

Investigators are now looking into whether Gonzalez, 24, was the victim of a hate crime

The 24-year-old was crowned the winner of the Gay Beauty Queen pageant in the state of Nayarit last year

Gonzalez was found dead in the city of Celaya, in the state of Guanajuato, north-west of the capital Mexico City, last week.

She disappeared in June when she visited the nearby city of Irapuato with a friend.

She reportedly left her friend and said she has to attend to some personal business, but she wasn't heard from again.

Her friend reported her missing when she did not return.

Gonzalez was found dead in the city of Celaya, north-west of Mexico City, a month after she disappeared

Gonzalez's family and friends launched a campaign on social media, asking people for help to find her.

Their search came to a tragic end with the discovery of her body in Celaya.

DNA tests were carried out to confirm her identity because the body was severely burned.

Jorge Luis Zamora Cabrera, the state secretary of sexual diversity, told Mexican media that one of the lines of investigation in the case is transphobia.

Friends expressed disbelief at Gonzalez's death and paid tribute to her on her Facebook page.