Colombian Serial Killer ‘La Bestia,’ Responsible for Over 190 Victims, Eligible for Parole This Year
One of the world’s most dangerous serial killers in recent history is getting closer to regaining his freedom. Luis Alfredo Garavito, known as “The Beast” or “The Monster of Genova,” is eligible for parole this year.
In an interview on the local show Testigo Directo, criminal defense attorney Francisco Bernate explained Garavito confessed to raping 200 children, leading to a sentence of 1,853 years and nine days in prison.
However, in Colombia, all the sentences have to become one, resulting in a maximum prison term of 40 years.
“The law is clear, the door has to open, and he has to walk out,” he said, explaining that every Colombian citizen has a right called favorability.
“When laws change, the one that benefits him the most it’s applied. It means that he could gain access to freedom once he serves three-fifths of his sentence, regardless of the seriousness of the crime,” clarified.
Under Parole, Garavito wouldn’t be under supervision or wear ankle monitors
Bernate explained that the remaining 16 years of the sentence would be a probationary period during which Garavito has to show good behavior.
Additionally, he must inform authorities of changes in his residence, refrain from committing any crimes and make periodic appearances in court.
However, his freedom comes with limitations: he has no right to vote, can’t work for the government, work at any educational institution, or leave the country without permission.
Regarding the possibility of supervision, he said that neither surveillance nor ankle monitors would be required.
Gavito had a troubled childhood filled with abuse and later became an alcoholic
El Espectator reported authorities arrested Garavito in April 1999; he has been in prison since.
Born in 1957 in Génova, Quindío, physical abuse marked his childhood. He was the eldest of seven siblings, struggled with alcoholism and was in psychiatric hospitals.
His first offense occurred when he was 15, cornering a child on a train. The child alerted the authorities, however, they let him go. Meanwhile, his father, who allegedly mistreated him, kicked him out of the house.
According to All That Is Interesting, a decades-long long civil war that started in the 1960s in Colombia left thousands homeless and children in vulnerable situations — Garavito took advantage of this.
A master in disguise, it took police nearly 8 years to catch him
He disguised himself as a priest, farmer, or street vendor to lure his victims. In 1992, he committed his first murder. It was years after that police noticed what was happening.
Towards the end of 1997, authorities discovered a mass grave in Pereira. They found approximately 25 corpses showing signs of torture, including bite marks, mutilation and anal penetration. Some victims had their genitals removed.
On April 22, 1999, Garavito got caught when he was about to harm a child on a farm. A man passing by heard the boy’s screams and found him naked and tied up. The police were called, arresting Garavito, informed El Tiempo.
Now, at 66 years old, he is in the high-security prison in Tramacúa, Valledupar. El Mundo reported he has chronic lymphocytic leukemia and another type of cancer in his left eye.
