Lady of Silence: The Mataviejitas Murders tells the true story of Mexico’s first serial killer

Netflix has been dropping true crime documentaries non-stop this week, with The Lady of Silence: The Mataviejitas Murders following on from Wednesday’s Missing: The Lucie Blackman Case.

The Mataviejitas Murders documentary details the shocking murders that took over Mexico City from the late 90s to early 2000s. Before you dive into the documentary, here’s everything you need to know about the The Mataviejitas Murders case.

What were the Mataviejitas Murders?

Between 1998 and 2005 the killer, La Mataviejitas, targeted elderly women in Mexico City. It has been estimated they killed between 42 and 48 people across that time span.

All of the victims were aged 60 or over and they often lived alone. Their deaths were gruesome, with the killer often strangling them with telephone cords or bathrobe belts. The deaths gained a lot of attention given the rarity of serial killers in Mexico.

La Mataviejitas was the name the media gave to the serial killer before they were caught by the police. La Mataviejitas translates to little old lady killer.

Who is The Lady of Silence in The Mataviejitas Murders on Netflix?

Juana Barraza was uncovered by police to be the serial killer, who went by the name The Lady of Silence. Prior to her arrest, Juana Barraza was a professional wrestler under the name La Dama del Silencio, which translates to The Lady of Silence.

Throughout the investigation, the police found out Barraza would commit the murders “with ease” as she gained the victims’ trust by helping them with groceries and other niceties.

Barraza would then strangle the women before stealing items, which led police to believe robbery was the killer’s motive. The police were heavily criticised during their investigation due to the delay in Barraza’s arrest. She was arrested in 2006 when she was seen leaving the house of her last victim, but this was after a number of women had already been murdered.

The Lady of Silence: The Mataviejitas Murders on Netflix sees testimonies given by neighbours, friends and relatives of the women who were killed, including María De La Luz González Anaya, Margarita Aceves Quezada and Ana María de los Reyes.

What happened to The Lady of Silence?

In 2006, Barraza was finally arrested after being chased down the street by her neighbour. Juana Barraza went on trial for 30 murders and was sentenced to 759 years in prison for killing 16 women as well as a number of robberies.

Barraza currently remains in prison at the Santa Martha Acatitla women’s prison.

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• The Lucie Blackman Case: Who was Carita Ridgway and what happened to her?

• Tim Blackman led a campaign to find his daughter Lucie, but what is he doing now?

• The Lucie Blackman Case on Netflix: What happened to Joji Obara and where is he now?

Featured image credit via Netflix.