La Bestia

Luis Alfredo Garavito Cubillos, also known as "La Bestia" ("The Beast"), is a Colombian rapist and serial killer. He was born on January 25, 1957 in Génova, Quindo, Colombia.

He confessed to the rape and murder of 140 young boys in 1999. Based on the locations of skeletons listed on maps Garavito drew in prison, the number of his victims could eventually exceed 300. Because of the large number of victims, he has been dubbed "the world's worst serial killer" by local media.

Garavito was sentenced to the maximum penalty available in Colombia, which was 30 years in prison, once he was apprehended. However, because he confessed to the crimes and assisted authorities in locating bodies, Colombian law allowed him to apply for special benefits, such as a reduction in his sentence to 22 years and possibly an even earlier release in exchange for continued cooperation and good behavior.

Colombians have grown increasingly concerned that Garavito's sentence was insufficient punishment for his crimes, owing to his impending early release. Initially, there was no way to extend the sentence under Colombian law because cases of serial killers like Garavito had no legal precedent in the country, and thus the legal system could not properly address this case.

However, in late 2006, a judicial review of Garavito's cases in various local jurisdictions determined that his sentence could be extended and his release delayed due to the existence of crimes he did not admit to and for which he had not previously been sentenced.

Garavito's victims ranged in age from 6 to 16 and were poor, peasant, or street children.

His method of operation remained relatively consistent. During the day, he lured children of lower social status away from crowded areas of the city and into hidden areas overgrown with high plants. Garavito made various offers, including payment for easy work, drugs, and other items. The children were bound, tortured, raped, and murdered with at least one cut in the lateral part of the neck or by decapitation. Garavito was inebriated at the time of the murders.

Apart from the previously mentioned behavior, decapitations, or at least their attempted decapitation, appeared to be typical of Garavito.

Because of the decomposition, notches in the fourth vertebra of the neck were often the only way to prove this. Many of the documented soft tissue cuts were caused by a knife that produced raw lacerations, as if the blade was old or notchy. Internal organs were usually left in place; Garavito did produce multiple stab wounds but no anatomical cuts on the abdomen. The only exception was a 10-year-old boy (killed in January 1997) who was discovered under similar circumstances, but the wounds were caused by a stabbing weapon that did not have a blade (technically: impaling wounds). The dismemberment of corpses occurred only when body parts had to be transported out of houses where there had been very few killings. In a few cases, he also placed the bodies in bags and sank them in water with stones.

Empty bottles of the cheapest brand of local schnapps were discovered at numerous crime scenes. Garavito, in fact, had a habit of abusing alcohol and had left the empty bottles, as well as the corpses, openly at the scene of the crime.

By this point, it is clear that Garavito divided suitable killing locations into sectors and killed one child per sector. In many cases, he slowly tortured the children, who were sometimes tied in such a way that they could still walk a long distance but not escape. Anal penetration appears to be a recurring theme in the cases, but it is unclear whether this was a postmortem or perimortem. 

The majority of the crimes were committed on or around weekends when most children congregated in marketplaces. Garavito attempted to entice them away during the day because it raised less suspicion about the odd jobs life offered as well as a possible absence at dinner.

Prior to Garavitos' confession, the public did not generally accept that a single murderer was responsible for the crimes. As a result, despite the lack of evidence, the usual suspects such as Satanists or other secret organizations were accused. Their guilt was improbable because no two killings occurred at the same time. At the same time, the offender's travel pattern was highly irregular. Another theory suggested an alleged organ trade. This theory was quickly dismissed because the majority of the wounds were stab wounds and the conditions at the crime scenes - identified by bloodstains protruding from living persons - were highly unsterile.

Garavito was apprehended on April 22, 1999. He admitted to killing 140 children. He was investigated for the murder of 172 children in more than 59 Colombian towns.

Even after his arrest (for attempted rape) under a false identity, it was difficult to track down his crimes because Garavito had frequently changed places of residence and jobs. He also changed his hairstyles and gave himself incorrect names. During his ongoing confessions, he now correctly directs investigators to all crime scenes throughout Colombia.

Despite an initial sentence of 2600 years, it is possible that Garavito will be released from prison after serving a minimum of 25 to a maximum of 40 years.

In 138 of the 172 cases, he was found guilty. The total sentence in these 138 cases is 1,853 years and 9 days. However, due to Colombian legal constraints, he cannot be imprisoned for more than 30 years. Furthermore, because he assisted authorities in locating the bodies, his sentence was reduced to 22 years.

Many Colombians began to criticize Garavito's early release during his reduced sentence, with some claiming he deserved a life sentence or the death penalty, neither of which are applicable in Colombia.

Pirry, a local TV host, interviewed Garavito in 2006, and the interview aired on June 11, that same year. Pirry stated in this TV special that during the interview, the killer attempted to minimize his actions and expressed a desire to enter politics in order to help abused children. He also described Garavito's prison conditions and stated that due to his good behavior, Garavito could likely apply for early release within three years.

Following the airing of the Pirry interview, criticism of Garavito's situation gained traction in the media and in political circles. A judicial review of the cases against Garavito in various local jurisdictions discovered that his sentence could be extended and his release delayed because he would have to answer for unconfessed crimes separately, which were not covered by his previous judicial process.

Garavito is scheduled to become eligible for parole in 2023.