Mexico’s ‘little old lady killer’

Mexico’s ‘little old lady killer’

Author: BBC World Service July 20, 2026 Duration: 10:51

In March 2008, former female wrestler Juana Barraza was found guilty of murdering at least 11 elderly women in Mexico City.

The murders took place over a period of seven years, and Barraza became known as the “little old lady killer”.

She admitted to murdering three women and told investigators it was because of abuse she suffered in childhood at the hands of her alcoholic mother.

In 2021, Mike Lanchin spoke to the neuropsychologist Dr Feggy Ostrosky, who interviewed Barraza in jail, about the disturbing story.

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(Photo: Barraza being presented to the media following her arrest in 2005. Credit: Reuters/Danil Aguilar)


Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.We look at the lives of some of the most...
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