Luis Garavito: Colombian serial killer who confessed to murdering more than 190 children dies aged 66

In a chilling chapter of Colombia’s history, one of the most notorious serial killers, Luis Alfredo Garavito, known as “The Beast,” has passed away at the age of 66.

Garavito confessed to a horrifying tally of more than 190 child murders, sending shockwaves through the nation in the 1990s.

His death occurred on Thursday, October 12, 2023, in a hospital where he was imprisoned.

Born in 1957 in the Colombian department of Quindío, Garavito embarked on a reign of terror that spanned 11 different departments of the country.

His victims were primarily children between the ages of 8 and 16, predominantly hailing from low-income families.

Garavito would pose as various characters, such as a monk, a homeless person, or a street vendor, to gain the trust of unsuspecting children.

Once he had their confidence, he would abduct and abuse them.

Authorities began to connect the dots when they noticed disturbing similarities in cases of missing children in Pereira, Armenia, and Tunja.

It was in April 1999 that Garavito’s reign of terror came crashing down when he was arrested on an attempted rape charge. However, what followed was a shocking revelation.

When questioned by an investigating judge about the disappearance of 114 children and the discovery of their bodies in 59 Colombian towns starting in 1994, Garavito not only confessed but also begged for forgiveness.

As if the horrors he had already admitted weren’t enough, he went on to confess to more murders, pushing the count beyond 190 victims.

The sheer magnitude of his crimes shook the nation. In a court hearing the same year, Garavito expressed remorse and apologized to the families of his victims: “I want to ask for forgiveness for everything I did, and I am going to confess. Yes, I killed them, and not only those, I killed others.”

For years, there was a cloud of uncertainty surrounding Garavito’s potential release from prison, as he had served three-fifths of his sentence.

However, in 2021, then-president Iván Duque firmly rejected any possibility of his regaining freedom and vowed that during his presidency, Garavito would remain behind bars.

The passing of Luis Alfredo Garavito marks the end of a dark and haunting chapter in Colombia’s history.