A Mexican serial killer dubbed the “Monster of Atizapan”, who reportedly ate parts of his female victims after murdering them, has died in prison at the age of 77.
Former butcher Andres Mendoza was serving a life sentence, alongside an additional 92 years behind bars, after confessing to killing up to 30 women over a period spanning three decades.
He was found dead inside his high-security prison cell in Mexico on Thursday after suffering complications from pneumonia.
Mendoza first came under police investigation in 2021 following the disappearance of his former girlfriend, Reyna Gonzalez, a 34-year-old mother of two.
Her dismembered remains were later discovered stuffed inside a bag, prompting officers to search Mendoza’s home in Atizapan, near Mexico City.
During the raid, investigators uncovered human remains, women’s clothing, shoes, jewellery and identification documents belonging to missing women.
Detectives also found at least 4,300 bone fragments, names of women written in a notebook, videotapes and other belongings buried beneath the concrete flooring of the property.
Confronted with the evidence, Mendoza confessed to the killings within days. He reportedly told investigators that his murderous spree had begun in 1991.
The former butcher allegedly targeted women by befriending them at local bars, buying them drinks before luring them back to his home.
Once there, he would stab his victims through the heart before dismembering their bodies using machetes and kitchen knives.
In his confession, Mendoza reportedly admitted recording himself removing his victims’ scalps and peeling off their faces before consuming parts of their bodies.
He claimed to have murdered more than 30 women, although prosecutors were only able to link him to 19 killings.
When appearing before a judge, Mendoza showed little remorse, saying: “All I want is to tell the truth. I’ve done it, so what can I do?”
He was eventually sentenced to life imprisonment and an additional 92-year jail term for other offences, including femicide.
Mendoza died in a prison unit for elderly and vulnerable inmates, having spent just five years behind bars.
