Thalia's other kidnapped sister is freed unharmed

Mexican pop diva Thalia’s family-kidnap ordeal is over, now that her second abducted sister, Ernestina Sodi, has been released unharmed after more than a month in captivity. Sodi was freed on Saturday, nearly three weeks after the release of her sister, soap star Laura Zapata, said Genaro Garcia, director of the Federal Agency of Investigations, the Associated Press reports. No arrests have been made.

Zapata and Sodi were kidnapped in Mexico City on Sept. 22 as they were leaving a play in which Zapata had performed. The family hired a team of private investigators to negotiate with the kidnappers, not trusting the police, who they feared might be in league with the abductors. On Oct. 10, Zapata was released, but Sodi’s whereabouts remained unknown. A family friend, Shanik Berman, told the press the kidnappers had requested a $1 million ransom. It’s not clear if the family acquiesced, though the New York Post reports that the family apparently paid the ransom. ”We completely respect the family’s decision,” Mexico City attorney general Bernardo Batiz told the Post.

Thalia, who is married to Sony Music chief Tommy Mottola, has kept a low profile since the kidnapping; still, her single ”No Me Ensenaste” has topped the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart for two weeks. On Monday, she released a statement on her website, saying, ”First of all and most importantly, I would like to thank God. I would also like to thank everyone for their support and prayers throughout this extremely difficult ordeal. On behalf of my family I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”