LUIS ALFREDO GARAVITO CUBILLOS: LA BESTIA

Luis Alfredo Garavito Cubillos is considered to be Columbia’s worst serial killer. Between 1992 and 1998, he killed more than 200 children between the ages of 8 and 13 and one boy who was 16. His crimes only came to light after a four-hour confession. Columbian authorities knew they had an issue, but with the lack of communication between authorities, several other serial killers operating at the same time (such as Pedro Alonso Lopez), and an already higher murder rate, it was difficult to catch Garavito. Child abuse is also a major problem in Columbia, and an estimated 35,000 boys and girls under the age of 18 work as prostitutes. Kids are often trafficked for sexual exploitation and are often the victims of paramilitaries and guerillas.

Garavito was born on January 25, 1957, in Genova, Columbia. He reportedly suffered abuse from his father and multiple neighbors. He was an alcoholic, and empty bottles of the cheapest brand of local schnapps were often found next to the bodies of his victims. He traveled around a lot, which is not uncommon in poorer countries, so it never raised suspicions, and he may have killed boys in Ecuador as well.

Garavito was meticulous about choosing his victims, and often bought them juice or cake in a local shop so he could size them up. Once he decided the boy would do, Garavito asked him to take a walk, offered to pay him for help, or offered drugs or other favors. Garavito targeted boys from the lowest social status; boys who worked as street vendors to support their families or who were addicted to drugs. More often than not, he lured the children away in the daytime, usually before 10 a.m., from crowded parts of the city such as local markets. He then took them to a predetermined killing place: a hill covered in vegetation that was located off the road and right outside of town, purportedly so he could see if anyone was coming. There, he would tie them up, torture and rape them, then kill them by either slitting their throat or decapitating them.

Garavito used different disguises to lure in his victims. He would appear as a street vendor, a bum, a priest, whatever the situation called for. Most of his crimes were committed on or around weekends because that was when most kids hung around the market place. He subdivided his killing place into sectors, killing one child per sector. He never buried the bodies, and often times mutilated the boys’ genitals. He kept the passport photos of the boys he killed as trophies and a calendar with cryptic notes listing his victims.

Garavito was arrested on April 22, 1999, after attempting to rape a boy, who was lucky enough to get away. He was identified by a homeless man and several taxi drivers who turned him over to local authorities. Garavito was found guilty for the murder of 160 boys and given a sentence of 2,600 years. But because of Columbian law, which was reformed in 2000, he could not be given the death penalty (it was eliminated in 1910) or be imprisoned for more than 40 total years. Also, Garavito has cooperated with law enforcement and helped them find the bodies of his victims, which might lead to his early release.

Although Garavito may be released after serving only 22 years of his sentence, his time in prison will not be pleasant. Columbian prisons are extremely harsh. They have problems with severe overcrowding and dangerous sanitary and health conditions. In some prisons, the prisoners have to pay to eat, drink, sleep on a mattress, wash clothes, or make telephone calls. Inmate on inmate violence is also a major issue, and some prisoners pay protection fees to other inmates or corrupt guards. Garavito is kept separate from the prison’s main population for fear that he will be murdered. It is possible that Garavito could get an extended sentence. A judicial review in 2006 concluded that he has to answer to unconfessed crimes separately. Since they were not included in the previous judicial process, he could be sentenced for those.

Garavito ranks among the top 10 serial killers (throughout time) in number of victims killed.