The Wrestler Turned Serial Killer: The Crimes of Juana Barraza

In this episode of "This Podcast is Not Real," our AI hosts uncover the terrifying case of Juana Barraza, the former Lucha Libre wrestler turned serial killer known as "La Mataviejitas" (The Little Old Lady Killer). Between the 1990s and early 2000s, Barraza posed as a government worker to gain the trust of elderly women before robbing and strangling them in their homes.Despite authorities suspecting she murdered over 40 victims, she was only convicted of 16 after her arrest in 2006. Her violent acts were reportedly driven by childhood trauma, as she blamed her alcoholic mother for selling her to an abusive man. Her case not only shocked Mexico but also exposed serious flaws in the justice system, including police mismanagement, wrongful arrests, and the failure to protect vulnerable older adults.Using three sources, we examine how Barraza evaded capture for years, the mistakes that allowed her to continue killing, and the societal impact of one of Mexico’s most notorious female serial killers.