Colombia’s Most Notorious Serial Killer, Luis Alfredo Garavito, Dies in Prison

Colombia’s most infamous serial killer, Luis Alfredo Garavito, known as “The Beast” or “The Monster of Genova,” has met his end in prison, the country’s prison authority reported. Garavito, responsible for one of the most horrific killing sprees in history, died on Thursday at the age of 66 due to “multiple conditions.”

Garavito’s gruesome legacy included the abuse, torture, and murder of at least 170 boys between the ages of eight and 16. Posing as various personas, such as a traveling salesman, a monk, a disabled or homeless person, and even an aid worker, he infiltrated schools to find his unsuspecting victims.

Once he had lured the boys to isolated areas with promises of food and drink, he would assault them when they grew tired of walking. Shockingly, Garavito meticulously documented his victims in a small notebook.

The horrifying extent of his crimes came to light in October 1998 when Colombian police discovered the bodies of 36 murdered children in the town of Pereira, leading to the initiation of the largest criminal investigation in Colombian history up to that point. A year later, authorities announced the capture of the man responsible.

Garavito’s modus operandi involved torturing and mutilating his victims before ultimately slitting their throats. He confessed to these heinous acts and, in 2000, was sentenced to a total of 835 years in prison, although the maximum sentence that can be served in Colombia is 40 years.

During his time behind bars, Garavito was diagnosed with cancer in the eye and leukemia. Additionally, he confessed to committing crimes in Venezuela and Ecuador, where he was sentenced to 22 years in prison in absentia.

As Colombia reflects on the dark chapter in its history marked by Luis Alfredo Garavito’s reign of terror, the nation and the world are left grappling with the chilling legacy of a man whose crimes have few parallels in the annals of serial killers.