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Unmasking Pedro López: The Monster of the Andes

  • Kulturalism Team
  • 3 days ago
  • 5 min read


PEDRO LÓPEZ PROFILE


Name: Pedro Alonso López

AKA: The Monster of the Andes

Born: 8th October 1948 (Current age: 76)

Nationality: Colombian

Criminal Classification: Serial Killer

Confessed Murders: 300 young girls (aged 9-12)


CHILDHOOD


Father: Pedro’s father was shot and killed in 1948 while his mother was three months pregnant. During an interview, Pedro claimed, "The absence of a father made me look for one in others."


Mother: Benilda López Castañeda was a prostitute, and Pedro claims she was often beaten by men. He stated that he suffered the backlash of her abuse, experiencing violent beatings, which led him to run away at the age of eight. He joined a group of homeless children, known as "Gamin," who made up a large portion of Bogotá's street life. His mother, in an interview, claimed she believed Pedro had been kidnapped, but she did not elaborate on any search efforts.


  • Age 8: Homeless and part of street gangs, Pedro became addicted to bazuco (basuco), a highly dangerous form of cocaine. He was raped by an older male who had enticed him with food and shelter. He soon learned to survive through hatred and violence, using knives in fights to secure a sleeping spot for the night.

  • Age 10: A couple offered Pedro sanctuary, and he was enrolled in school.

  • Age 12: Pedro claimed that he was raped again, this time by a school teacher. He later stated that he "always wanted to punish those responsible."


CRIMINAL OFFENCES


  • Age 21 (1969): Pedro was sentenced to seven years for theft but served only two. Within his first two days in prison, he was raped by two older inmates. In response, he crafted a makeshift knife and murdered both his rapists. The prison authorities turned a blind eye, and no extra time was added to his sentence.

  • Age 23 (1971): Released from prison and immediately began hunting for victims.


KILLING SPREE


  • Duration: 7 years across Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru

  • Confessed Murders: 300 young girls (approximately 42 per year)

  • Confirmed Victims: 57 bodies were discovered and identified (averaging 7-8 per year)

  • Gap in Timeline: There was a 10-year window between his prison release and capture, though he claimed to have killed for only seven years. The remaining three years remain unaccounted for, possibly spent fantasising before committing his first murder.

  • Age 33 (1980): Pedro pleaded guilty to the murder of 57 girls aged 9-12.


CAPTURE & INTERROGATION


Pedro López was finally captured in 1980 when he attempted to abduct a young girl in Ecuador. A vigilant market stall owner intervened and reported him to authorities. Once in custody, Pedro initially denied all allegations, but after days of intense interrogation, he confessed to the murders of hundreds of girls. His confession was later corroborated by grave sites containing the remains of at least 57 victims.


During interviews, Pedro showed no remorse and even detailed his preferred methods of killing. He described selecting his victims carefully, ensuring they were isolated and easy targets.


His chilling statement: "I like the girls in Ecuador. They are more gentle and trusting, more innocent."


PRISON SENTENCE


  • Sentence: 16 years for 57 murders (equating to just four months per victim)

  • Confession: Pedro claimed to have killed 300 girls, but authorities only charged him with 110 counts of murder.

  • Modus Operandi: Pedro targeted young girls working as street vendors. He lured them away by pretending to be lost. Once isolated, he would beat, rape, and murder them, often choosing night-time so he could watch "the light leave their eyes." He claimed he wanted to take "their innocence away, the innocence that he had lost."

  • Display of Victims: Pedro sometimes posed his victims as if they were dolls in their graves and claimed he spent up to six weeks searching for each victim.


MEDIA & PUBLIC REACTION


Pedro's crimes shocked South America, with Ecuadorian authorities calling him "the worst serial killer in modern history."


The leniency of his 16-year sentence outraged victims' families, and there were calls for capital punishment, which was not legal in Ecuador.


His case remains one of the most disturbing examples of failure in the criminal justice system.


LATER YEARS & DISAPPEARANCE


Age 48 (1995): Released from prison two years early for "good behavior" but re-arrested within an hour and deported to Colombia. Sentenced for a historical murder but avoided a harsh penalty by being declared insane.

Age 51 (1998): Declared sane by a psychiatrist and released under two conditions: monthly check-ins with a judge and ongoing psychiatric treatment. He never complied and vanished without a trace.

Interpol: Pedro was once listed as a wanted fugitive but is not currently on Interpol's wanted list (2025).


Current Whereabouts:

Unknown.

Despite being 76 years old as of 2025 and long-term substance abuse, there is no confirmed information on Pedro López’s health or whereabouts. While it’s plausible that his health may have declined or that he may have passed away, there is no concrete evidence to support this.


Possibilities:

  • Suicide

  • Murder

  • Changed identity


Some speculate that López may have taken his own life, been murdered, or assumed a new identity, but these are purely speculative theories. As of now, there is no concrete evidence to substantiate any of these claims.


Benilda’s Claim: Pedro López’s mother, Benilda, consistently believed her son was still alive. She claimed to “feel him” in some spiritual or emotional sense, although this remains unverified.


Psychological Profile


Pedro López displayed a disturbing range of traits, including:

  • Stalker

  • Serial Rapist

  • Paedophile

  • Compulsive Liar

  • Abductor

  • Manipulator

  • Aggression and Brutality

  • Fantasist

  • Addiction

  • Need for Power and Control


These traits together illustrate a deeply disturbed individual whose psychological and emotional issues likely fueled his criminal activities.


Modus Operandi

The methods Pedro López used to execute his crimes reveal the twisted psychology behind his actions:


  • Shallow graves

  • Stalking

  • Lying

  • Abduction

  • Violent beatings

  • Sexual violence (multiple rapes)

  • Strangulation

  • Ritualistic behaviour

  • Denial of responsibility

  • Emotionally immature behaviour

  • Undoing criminal acts (attempts to reverse or justify his actions)


López’s actions often involved a disturbing ritualistic element, which points to his need for control, power, and emotional gratification. His inability to take responsibility for his crimes was evident in his claim that his actions were due to a “lost innocence and youth.”


Lombroso's Theory and Pedro López's Distinguishing Features


In the late 19th century, Italian criminologist Cesare Lombroso developed a controversial theory called the "born criminal" hypothesis. He argued that certain physical characteristics, such as larger foreheads, big ears, and large eyes, were indicative of a predisposition toward criminal behavior. Lombroso believed that these "atavistic" features were signs that a person was genetically inclined to commit crimes, suggesting that criminality was embedded in the physical traits of individuals.

When examining the features of Pedro López, some might note his large ears and crooked eyes, which might align with Lombroso’s ideas. However, it’s important to remember that Lombroso’s theory has been widely discredited in modern criminology. Research has shown that criminal behaviour is much more complex and influenced by a combination of psychological, social, and environmental factors—not physical traits alone.

Today, criminologists reject the notion that physical features can determine criminality, recognising that a range of internal and external influences shape an individual’s behaviour. While Lombroso’s work contributed to early criminological thought, it is no longer a valid or accepted theory in the study of crime.


CONCLUSION

Pedro López remains one of the most notorious serial killers in history. His sociopathic tendencies, violent upbringing, and lack of remorse paint a chilling portrait of a man who terrorized three countries. His whereabouts remain unknown, and the full extent of his crimes may never be fully understood. Though theories about his possible survival and continued crimes persist, the true scope of his actions may always remain a mystery.




References


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