Juana Barraza
Encyclopedia
Juana Barraza is a Mexican professional wrestler and serial killer
dubbed La Mataviejitas (Sp. "The Old Lady Killer") sentenced to 759 years in jail for killing eleven elderly women. The first murder attributed to Mataviejitas has been dated variously to the late 1990s and to a specific killing on 17 November 2003. The authorities and the press have given various estimates as to the total number of the killer's victims, with estimated totals ranging from 24 to 49 deaths.
. Barraza's mother was an alcoholic who reportedly exchanged her for three beers to a man who repeatedly raped her in his care, and by whom she became pregnant with a boy. She had four children in total, although her eldest son died from injuries sustained in a mugging. Prior to her arrest, Barraza was a professional wrestler under the ring name
La Dama del Silencio (The Silent Lady). She had an obsession with lucha libre
, a form of Mexican masked professional wrestling
in which the wrestlers engage in titanic mock battles.
Bernardo Bátiz, the chief prosecutor in Mexico City,initially profiled the killer as having "a brilliant mind, [being] quite clever and careful", and probably struck after a period spent gaining the trust of an intended victim. Officers investigating suspected that she posed as a government official offering the chance to sign up to welfare programs
.
The search for Barraza was complicated by conflicting evidence. At one point, the police hypothesized that two killers might be involved. Then an odd coincidence distracted the investigation; at least three of Barraza's victims owned a print of an 18th century painting by the French artist Jean-Baptiste Greuze
, Boy in Red Waistcoat.
By November 2005, the Mexican authorities were reporting witness statements to the effect that the killer wore women's clothing to gain access to the victim's apartments. In one case a large woman in a red blouse was seen leaving the home of a murdered woman. Two months later, police began checking the fingerprints of bodies in the city's morgue
s in the apparent belief that Mataviejitas might have committed suicide.
A major breakthrough in the case occurred on 25 January 2006, when a suspect was arrested fleeing from the home of the serial killer's latest victim, Ana María de los Reyes Alfaro, who lived in the Venustiano Carranza
borough of Mexico City. Alfaro, 82, had been strangled with a stethoscope
.
To the surprise of many Mexicans, who had supposed the killer to be male, the suspect detained was Juana Barraza, 48, a female wrestler known professionally as The Silent Lady. Witnesses at previous murder scenes had described a masculine-looking woman and police had previously looked for a transvestite although they later admitted that the former wrestler resembled composite images of the suspect. Barraza closely resembled a model of the killer's features, which showed La Mataviejitas with close-cropped hair dyed blonde and a facial mole, and was carrying a stethoscope, pension forms and a card identifying her as a social worker when she was detained.
Mexico City prosecutors said fingerprint evidence linked Barraza to at least 10 murders of the as many as 40 murders attributed to the killer. The wrestler is said to have confessed to murdering Alfaro and three other women, but denied involvement in all other killings. She told reporters she had visited Alfaro's home in search of laundry work.
producer Pedro Torres
brought the story to television on an episode of the 2010 Mexican
Television
series Mujeres Asesinas 3
that is being produced by Televisa
. The episode is called "Maggie, Pensionada" starring the Mexican
actress Leticia Perdigón as Maggie and Irma Lozano, Ana Luisa Peluffo
and Lourdes Canale as victims.
" which aired on Discovery en Español
in 2010. The episode was entitled, "La Mataviejitas".
Juana Barraza was also highlighted on the show La Historia Detras Del Mito the episode was entitled La Mataviejitas.
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
dubbed La Mataviejitas (Sp. "The Old Lady Killer") sentenced to 759 years in jail for killing eleven elderly women. The first murder attributed to Mataviejitas has been dated variously to the late 1990s and to a specific killing on 17 November 2003. The authorities and the press have given various estimates as to the total number of the killer's victims, with estimated totals ranging from 24 to 49 deaths.
Background
Juana Barraza was born in Hidalgo, a rural area north of Mexico CityMexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. Barraza's mother was an alcoholic who reportedly exchanged her for three beers to a man who repeatedly raped her in his care, and by whom she became pregnant with a boy. She had four children in total, although her eldest son died from injuries sustained in a mugging. Prior to her arrest, Barraza was a professional wrestler under the ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
La Dama del Silencio (The Silent Lady). She had an obsession with lucha libre
Lucha libre
Lucha libre is a term used in Mexico, and other Spanish-speaking countries, for a form of professional wrestling that has developed within those countries...
, a form of Mexican masked professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
in which the wrestlers engage in titanic mock battles.
Profile
All of Barraza's victims were women aged 60 or over, most of whom lived alone. She bludgeoned or strangled her victims, and afterward would rob them. Police reported that there was evidence of abuse in a number of cases.Bernardo Bátiz, the chief prosecutor in Mexico City,initially profiled the killer as having "a brilliant mind, [being] quite clever and careful", and probably struck after a period spent gaining the trust of an intended victim. Officers investigating suspected that she posed as a government official offering the chance to sign up to welfare programs
Welfare
Welfare refers to a broad discourse which may hold certain implications regarding the provision of a minimal level of wellbeing and social support for all citizens without the stigma of charity. This is termed "social solidarity"...
.
The search for Barraza was complicated by conflicting evidence. At one point, the police hypothesized that two killers might be involved. Then an odd coincidence distracted the investigation; at least three of Barraza's victims owned a print of an 18th century painting by the French artist Jean-Baptiste Greuze
Jean-Baptiste Greuze
Jean-Baptiste Greuze was a French painter.-Early life:He was born at Tournus, Saône-et-Loire. He is generally said to have formed his own talent; this is, however, true only in the most limited sense, for at an early age his inclinations, though thwarted by his father, were encouraged by a...
, Boy in Red Waistcoat.
Investigation
The authorities were heavily criticised by the media for dismissing evidence that a serial killer was at work in Mexico City as merely "media sensationalism" as late as the summer of 2005. Soon after setting an investigation in motion, the police incurred further criticism by launching what one journalist described as a "ham-fisted" and unproductive swoop on Mexico City's transvestite prostitutes.By November 2005, the Mexican authorities were reporting witness statements to the effect that the killer wore women's clothing to gain access to the victim's apartments. In one case a large woman in a red blouse was seen leaving the home of a murdered woman. Two months later, police began checking the fingerprints of bodies in the city's morgue
Morgue
A morgue or mortuary is used for the storage of human corpses awaiting identification, or removal for autopsy or disposal by burial, cremation or otherwise...
s in the apparent belief that Mataviejitas might have committed suicide.
A major breakthrough in the case occurred on 25 January 2006, when a suspect was arrested fleeing from the home of the serial killer's latest victim, Ana María de los Reyes Alfaro, who lived in the Venustiano Carranza
Venustiano Carranza, D.F.
Venustiano Carranza is one of the 16 delegaciones of Mexico's Federal District. The borough was formed in 1970 when the center of Mexico City was subdivided into four boroughs...
borough of Mexico City. Alfaro, 82, had been strangled with a stethoscope
Stethoscope
The stethoscope is an acoustic medical device for auscultation, or listening to the internal sounds of an animal body. It is often used to listen to lung and heart sounds. It is also used to listen to intestines and blood flow in arteries and veins...
.
To the surprise of many Mexicans, who had supposed the killer to be male, the suspect detained was Juana Barraza, 48, a female wrestler known professionally as The Silent Lady. Witnesses at previous murder scenes had described a masculine-looking woman and police had previously looked for a transvestite although they later admitted that the former wrestler resembled composite images of the suspect. Barraza closely resembled a model of the killer's features, which showed La Mataviejitas with close-cropped hair dyed blonde and a facial mole, and was carrying a stethoscope, pension forms and a card identifying her as a social worker when she was detained.
Mexico City prosecutors said fingerprint evidence linked Barraza to at least 10 murders of the as many as 40 murders attributed to the killer. The wrestler is said to have confessed to murdering Alfaro and three other women, but denied involvement in all other killings. She told reporters she had visited Alfaro's home in search of laundry work.
Trial and verdict
Barraza was tried in the spring of 2008, the prosecution alleging she had been responsible for as many as 40 deaths. She admitted one murder, that of Alfaro, and told the police her motive was lingering resentment regarding her own mother's treatment of her. On 31 March she was found guilty on 16 charges of murder and aggravated burglary, including 11 separate counts of murder. She was sentenced to 759 years in prison. All appeals on her behalf have failed.Mujeres Asesinas
MexicanMexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
producer Pedro Torres
Pedro Torres
Pedro Torres Cruces is a Spanish former road bicycle racer. He won the Polka dot jersey in the 1973 Tour de France.- Palmarès :1973...
brought the story to television on an episode of the 2010 Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
Television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series Mujeres Asesinas 3
Mujeres Asesinas
Mujeres Asesinas is a Mexican drama and psychological thriller type television series produced by Pedro Torres. The series is an adaptation of the Argentine series with the same name, produced by Pol-ka from 2005–2008.-Plot:...
that is being produced by Televisa
Televisa
Televisa is a Mexican multimedia conglomerate, the largest mass media company in Latin America and in the Spanish-speaking world. It is a major international entertainment business, with much of its programming airing in the United States on Univision, with which it has an exclusive contract...
. The episode is called "Maggie, Pensionada" starring the Mexican
Mexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
actress Leticia Perdigón as Maggie and Irma Lozano, Ana Luisa Peluffo
Ana Luisa Peluffo
Ana Luisa Peluffo is a Mexican actress. She has appeared in over 200 films and television shows since 1949. She starred in the 1977 film Paper Flowers, which was entered into the 28th Berlin International Film Festival....
and Lourdes Canale as victims.
Documentaries
Barraza was highlighted in the documentary "Instinto AsesinoInstinto Asesino
Instinto Asesino is a series produced by Endemol Argentina for the Discovery Channel. Each episode portrays a notorious serial killer case occurred in a country from Latin America...
" which aired on Discovery en Español
Discovery en Español
Discovery en Español is the Spanish language version of the Discovery Channel. It is operated by Discovery Networks International's Latin America division in Miami, Florida....
in 2010. The episode was entitled, "La Mataviejitas".
Juana Barraza was also highlighted on the show La Historia Detras Del Mito the episode was entitled La Mataviejitas.
External links
- Mexican Police satisfied with sentence on Cronica
- Mexico police hunt serial killer on BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
- Investiga PGJDF posible suicidio del 'Mataviejitas' on esmas.comEsmas.comesmas.com is the portal of Televisa, the largest Mexican television network and the world's largest producer of Spanish language media....
- Mexico police captures serial killer "Mataviejitas"' on Terra
- Woman held in Mexico killer hunt BBC News website
- Performing mexicanidad: criminality and lucha libre