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La Mataviejitas
Between 1998 and 2005, a wave of murders targeting elderly women hit Mexico City, leading to the hunt for and capture of an unlikely suspect.
That person was Juana Barraza, a former professional wrestler, professionally known as La Dama del Silencio (The Lady of Silence).
She had a strong interest in lucha libre, a form of Mexican masked professional wrestling.
In 2005, the police in Mexico City faced intense scrutiny for initially dismissing claims that a series of murders spanning several years were the sinister handiwork of a serial killer.
The authorities drew substantial criticism from the media for downplaying compelling evidence suggesting the presence of a serial killer operating within Mexico City. As late as the summer of 2005, they dismissed these claims as mere “media sensationalism.” Regrettably, this stance provoked further backlash when, subsequently, they initiated an investigation.
By November 2005, the Mexican authorities began reporting statements from witnesses that indicated the killer had been disguising themselves in women’s clothing as a means to gain access to victims’ apartments. A particularly noteworthy instance involved the sighting of a large individual clad in a red blouse leaving the residence of one of the murder victims.
Two months later, the police commenced the process of cross-referencing fingerprints found on bodies within the city’s morgues. This step was taken with the hypothesis that the individual known as “La Mataviejitas” (Little Old Lady Killer) might have potentially resorted to suicide.
A significant turning point in the case occurred on January 25, 2006, when authorities apprehended a suspect attempting to flee from the residence of the serial killer’s most recent victim, Ana María de los Reyes Alfaro. The victim, an 82-year-old resident of Mexico City’s Venustiano Carranza borough, had been strangled using a stethoscope.
Contrary to prevailing assumptions that the killer was male, the arrested individual was Juana Barraza, a 48-year-old female wrestler professionally known as “The Silent Lady.” Witnesses from earlier crime scenes had described a woman with a more masculine appearance, leading law enforcement to initially focus their search on a transgender person.
However, it was later acknowledged that Barraza’s resemblance closely aligned with composite images of the suspect.
Barraza’s features bore a striking resemblance to a composite image of the killer, depicting “La Mataviejitas” with short dyed blonde hair and a distinctive facial mole.
At the time of her arrest, she was found in possession of incriminating items, including a stethoscope, pension forms, and an identification card labeling her as a social worker.
Authorities in Mexico City cited fingerprint evidence that connected Barraza to a minimum of 10 murders among the potential 40 attributed to the serial killer.
The wrestler reportedly confessed to killing Alfaro as well as three other women, while disavowing any involvement in the remaining cases. In her statements to the press, Barraza indicated that her visit to Alfaro’s residence was motivated by a search for laundry work.
Juana Barraza
Barraza’s life began in rural Hidalgo, Mexico, in 1957, where she was born to Trinidad Barraza and Justa Samperio. Her father worked as a police officer, while her mother, Justa, struggled with alcoholism and worked as a sex worker.
Tragically, Justa’s struggles led to a distressing incident where she reportedly exchanged her daughter for three beers to a man named José Lugo.
Following her mother’s passing due to cirrhosis, Barraza departed for Mexico City. There, she embarked on a journey that included multiple marriages and the birth of four children. However, tragedy struck when her eldest son lost his life due to injuries sustained in a mugging.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Barraza’s path led her through various jobs, and she even found herself touring central Mexico as a masked wrestler. Nevertheless, the challenges of life pushed her into a corner.
By 1995, after the birth of her fourth child, financial difficulties compelled her to turn to theft. This initial step into criminal activity escalated to home burglaries as a means of survival.
In 1996, Barraza devised a scheme in collaboration with her friend Araceli Tapia Martínez. They adopted the guise of nurses to gain entry into the homes of the elderly, their unsuspecting victims. Once inside, they would then proceed to rob them.
By 2000, Barraza chose to retire from her wrestling endeavours, but her financial situation took a turn for the worse.
Tragically, Barraza’s criminal activities took a dark and lethal turn. Her first recorded victim was María de la Luz González Anaya, whose life was tragically cut short on November 25th, 2002.
Over the following years, Barraza’s crime spree escalated, leading her to commit a series of murders targeting elderly women between 2002 and 2005.
Trial
In the spring of 2008, Barraza faced trial with the prosecution asserting her responsibility in up to 40 deaths. Among these allegations, she confessed to the murder of Alfaro during her police interrogation. Her stated motive was a deep-seated resentment stemming from her mother’s ill-treatment of her. On March 31st, she received a guilty verdict on 16 charges encompassing murder and aggravated burglary. Notably, this included 11 distinct counts of murder. As a consequence of her actions, she was handed a daunting prison sentence totaling 759 years.
It’s worth noting that Mexican courts generally apply concurrent sentencing, yet the maximum prison term as per Mexican law stands at 60 years. Despite this, it’s highly probable that Barraza will spend her entire life behind bars due to the cumulative nature of her sentence.
“A Mexican woman killing even just one little old lady is virtually unheard of … How much our society must have changed if it can produce a [female] mataviejitas.”
Criminal anthropologist Elena Azaola