Before Juana Barraza’s killing spree, Mexican officials were unaware of the presence of serial killers. However, everything changed in 2002, when older women were increasingly found murdered in their Mexico City homes. Here’s a look at the life of this notorious character, from her early years to her final arrest.
Juana Barraza, commonly known as La Mataviejitas (The Little Old Lady Killer), is one of the most notorious serial killers in Mexican history. Her story is a chilling tale about abuse, manipulation, and ultimately vengeance, as her dissatisfied childhood created the basis for her heinous deeds in adulthood.
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Who is Juana Barraza?
During the late 1990s and early 2000s, Juana Barraza, also known as La Mataviejitas or The Little Old Lady Killer, was a Mexican serial killer. She preyed on older women by pretending to be a caregiver and then killing them after winning their trust. Her dislike of older women came from her traumatic childhood. She perceived these ladies as mirror images of her abusive mother. Barraza was a professional wrestler on Mexico’s lucha libre circuit before her arrest in 2006. Although she was charged with killing up to 40 people, she was found guilty of only 11 murders.
Early Life of Juana Barraza
Juana Barraza Samperio was born in Hidalgo, Mexico, in 1957. Her early life was marked by tragedy and adversity. Her early years were far from ideal because she was raised in terrible poverty. Barraza was severely mistreated and abused by his alcoholic mother. When Barraza was just 12 years old, her mother reportedly sold her to a man for three beers, by whom she had a son. She suffered from years of abuse at the hands of this monster before leaving. The trauma she experienced during this time in her life strongly influenced her later aggressive behavior.
She had a tense and traumatic relationship with her mother, and it is widely believed that this animosity stoked the anger that eventually caused her to murder older ladies, whom she may have unconsciously seen as symbols of her mother.
Adult Life and Professional Wrestling
As an adult, Barraza lived a life that seemed ordinary on the surface. She had four children, though one died in a gang-related incident. Barraza worked as a professional wrestler in Mexico’s lucha libre circuit and as a street seller to support and help her family. She took on the persona of La Dama del Silencio (The Lady of Silence), a figure that reflected strength and mystery. Ironically, this persona ultimately came to represent her dual life as a brutal killer and a mother.
Barraza’s financial problems continued, and it was during this period that she began committing increasingly violent crimes.
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La Dama del Silencio
Later in life, Juana became a luchador, La Dama del Silencio (The Little Old Lady Killer), known to jump in the ring while wearing a pink mask. In later interviews, she allegedly informed authorities that she chose her name “because I am quiet and keep to myself.”
She was not properly trained and was regarded as a “ruda” wrestler. Coincidentally, Juana took part in an interview with TV Azteca while authorities were looking for La Mataviejitas.
When the interviewer questioned her fighting style, Juana grinned and responded, “Ruda to my core.” When she wasn’t participating in amateur wrestling, she sold popcorn.
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The Emergence of La Mataviejitas
Between the late 1990s and 2006, Barraza, now known as La Mataviejitas, one of the notorious female serial killers went on a killing spree that terrorized Mexico City locals. Her victims were mostly older women aged 60 and above, which earned her the nickname La Mataviejitas, or The Little Old Lady Killer.
Barraza’s approach was both cunning and cruel. She gained her victims’ trust by appearing as a nurse or social worker and giving help with household duties. Once into their homes, she overpowered them and strangled them with telephone wires, scarves, or stethoscopes. Many people believe she projected her frustration and unresolved grief from her abusive mother onto her subjected elderly victims.
Her killing spree went unsolved for years, the investigators first suspecting a male was responsible for the murders. The brutality of the crimes and the witness accounts of a tall, muscular person led investigators to suspect a male serial killer. Barraza’s misjudgment allowed her to maintain her reign of terror for almost a decade.
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The Capture and Trial of Juana Barraza
Juana Barraza’s murderous campaign came to an end in January 2006 when she was caught leaving the scene of her last murder. The 79-year-old victim, Ana Maria de los Reyes Alfaro, was strangled in her own house. Witnesses saw her leave the house, and Barraza was arrested immediately.
During her trial, Barraza was linked to at least 16 murders, although only confessed to one. According to some experts, she may have been responsible for as many as 40 deaths. She was found guilty on 16 counts of murder and aggravated burglary, including 11 separate counts of murder, on March 31st and sentenced to 759 years in prison. Since Mexican courts typically issue sentences that be served consecutively and the maximum penalty allowed by Mexican law is 60 years, she will probably spend the entire time behind bars.
Juana Barraza has been working as a gym instructor and selling tacos while imprisoned to support her family.
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Psychological Profile
According to experts, Juana Barraza’s violent tendencies originate from her traumatic past. She targeted older ladies because of her deep-seated hatred for her mother and because of years of abuse and abandonment. Each murder was a symbolic act of revenge for the suffering she had experienced as a child, and she saw these ladies as representations of her mother.
She had developed a dark intelligence through years of leading a secret life, evident in her ability to deceive and manipulate her victims. She was a mother and a professional wrestler but also one of Mexico’s most infamous Serial Killers.
Juana Barraza is often ranked among the most notorious serial killers in history due to her horrific crimes and chilling confessions.
Where is Juana Barraza Now?
Juana Barraza is serving her sentence at the Santa Martha de Acatitla prison in Mexico City. She prepares tacos Monday through Wednesday and sells them in the jail courtyard.
She married Miguel Ángel, a 74-year-old convict kept in the men’s unit of Santa Martha de Acatitla. After Ángel allegedly won Barraza over a year with a series of letters, they were married along with forty-eight other prisoners.
However, a year later, the two parted ways. Barraza immediately lost interest in her husband after spending less than an hour with him overall. Barraza told a deputy, “Once we saw each other, the love vanished.”
Conclusion
In the underworld of true crime, Juana Barraza, also known as La Mataviejitas, is a haunting figure. Her traumatic childhood, which was characterized by abuse and betrayal, prepared the way for her eventual development into a heartless murderer. As La Mataviejitas, she destroyed the lives of many families in Mexico by taking advantage of the trust of her elderly victims. While she is currently serving a lengthy prison sentence, Her legacy as one of Mexico’s most infamous serial killers remains.
FAQs
How did Juana Barraza’s crimes impact Mexico City?
Juana Barraza’s murdering spree created panic all through Mexico City, especially among the elderly. Her murders sparked a media frenzy, causing widespread alarm and prompting the authorities to form a task force dedicated to apprehending the “Mataviejitas.”
Did Juana Barraza act alone in her crimes?
Yes, Juana Barraza committed her atrocities alone. Although police initially believed that the “Mataviejitas” was part of a group or maybe a guy in disguise, it was later confirmed that Barraza acted alone.
How does Juana Barraza compare to other female serial killers?
Juana Barraza is often compared to other female serial killers because of the nature of her crimes and her victims. Barraza’s use of physical force and strangling, compared to many female serial killers who employ less direct techniques such as poisoning, is more commonly linked with male serial killers, making her case distinctive.
