Gregorio "Goyo" Cárdenas Hernández (;

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

, 1915 –

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, 2 August 1999), also known as The Tacuba Strangler (''estrangulador de Tacuba''), was a Mexican

serial killer A serial killer (also called a serial murderer) is a person who murders three or more people,An offender can be anyone: * * * * * (This source only requires two people) with the killings taking place over a significant period of time in separat ...

. He was the first serial killer whose case was widely published in the Mexican media, and became a sensation on national media.

Early life

Cárdenas Hernández was born in Mexico City to a family originating from the state of

Veracruz Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entit ...

. In part due to an

encephalitis Encephalitis is inflammation of the Human brain, brain. The severity can be variable with symptoms including reduction or alteration in consciousness, aphasia, headache, fever, confusion, a stiff neck, and vomiting. Complications may include se ...

infection, he showed abnormal behavior as a child, including

cruelty to animals Cruelty to animals, also called animal abuse, animal neglect or animal cruelty, is the infliction of suffering or Injury, harm by humans upon animals, either by omission (neglect) or by commission. More narrowly, it can be the causing of harm ...

. Cárdenas received a scholarship from

Pemex Pemex (a portmanteau of Petróleos Mexicanos, which translates to ''Mexican Petroleum'' in English; ) is the Mexico, Mexican State ownership, state-owned Petroleum industry, petroleum corporation managed and operated by the government of Mexico, ...

to study

chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

at the

Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México The National Autonomous University of Mexico (, UNAM) is a public university, public research university in Mexico. It has several campuses in Mexico City, and many others in various locations across Mexico, as well as a presence in nine countri ...

(UNAM).Antonio Avitia Hernández, ''Corrido Histórico Mexicano, Tomo V (1936-1985)'' (Mexico City: Porrúa, 1998) 71. He started visiting prostitutes from age 15 and was concerned that constant bed-wetting would prevent a long-term relationship. However he met and married Sabina Lara Gonzalez around 1932. The marriage did not last. She told people about his bed-wetting and he lost respect for women generally.The Horrifying and Disturbing Case of Gregorio Cardenas Hernandez

Murders

Cárdenas Hernández committed his murders in August and September 1942. On 15 August 1942 he was visited in his house in the

Tacuba Tacuba is a district in the Ahuachapán department of El Salvador. Church Of Tacuba It is located in Villa of Tacuba. It is head of the municipality of the same name in the department of Ahuachapán, at about 14 Kilometers of the city of Ahuac ...

neighborhood of Mexico City by 16-year-old

prostitute Prostitution is a type of sex work that involves engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-pe ...

María de los Ángeles González. After having sex with her, Cárdenas strangled De los Ángeles and buried her body in his garden. In the following weeks he also murdered prostitutes Rosa Reyes and Raquel Martínez de León, both aged 16, and finally 19-year-old fellow chemistry student Graciela Arias Ávalos. His neighbors started to get suspicious and informed the police. Shortly before the police exhumed the bodies, Cárdenas had himself committed to a

psychiatric hospital A psychiatric hospital, also known as a mental health hospital, a behavioral health hospital, or an asylum is a specialized medical facility that focuses on the treatment of severe Mental disorder, mental disorders. These institutions cater t ...

, where he was arrested on 7 September 1942. Cárdenas was incarcerated in the notorious

Lecumberri The Palacio de Lecumberri is a large building, formerly a prison, in the northeast of Mexico City, Mexico, which now houses the General National Archive (''Archivo General de la Nación''). Known in popular culture as ''The Black Palace of Lecum ...

prison. During his trial Cárdenas pleaded guilty and was given a

life sentence Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment under which the convicted individual is to remain incarcerated for the rest of their natural life (or until pardoned or commuted to a fixed term). Crimes that result in life imprisonment are c ...

. He escaped prison in 1947 and fled to

Oaxaca Oaxaca, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca, is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of the Mexico, United Mexican States. It is divided into municipalities of Oaxaca, 570 munici ...

, but eventually was rearrested.

Fame

Cárdenas became a celebrity in Mexico, being the first multiple murderer receiving widespread media attention in that country. In the years following his murders there were reports of several copycat murderers imitating his crimes and an (illegal) pornographic movie based on his story was made. Cárdenas himself wrote three books while in prison and was regularly questioned and investigated by the country's top

psychiatrists A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry. Psychiatrists are physicians who evaluate patients to determine whether their symptoms are the result of a physical illness, a combination of physical and mental ailments or strictly ...

and

criminologists Criminology (from Latin , 'accusation', and Ancient Greek , ''-logia'', from λόγος ''logos'', 'word, reason') is the interdisciplinarity, interdisciplinary study of crime and Deviance (sociology), deviant behaviour. Criminology is a mul ...

. Cárdenas was allowed to pursue psychiatry and law studies while in prison. He learned to play the

piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...

, wrote

poetry Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...

, and even married in prison. His wife bore him four children. In 1976 Cárdenas was pardoned by president

Luis Echeverría Luis Echeverría Álvarez (; 17 January 1922 – 8 July 2022) was a Mexican lawyer, academic, and politician affiliated with the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) who served as the 57th president of Mexico from 1970 to 1976. Previously, ...

. He was invited by interior secretary

Mario Moya Palencia Mario Moya Palencia (14 June 1933 – 9 October 2006) was a Mexican politician affiliated with the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). He served Secretary of the Interior in the cabinet of Presidents Gustavo Díaz Ordaz and Luis Echev ...

to give a speech in the

Congress of the Union The Congress of the Union (, ), formally known as the General Congress of the United Mexican States (''Congreso General de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos''), is the legislature of the federal government of Mexico. It consists of two chambers: t ...

, where he was celebrated as a hero. He was hailed as a "great example" and a "clear case of rehabilitation". Cárdenas completed his law studies and worked as a

lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...

until his death in 1999. A chance meeting with

Alejandro Jodorowsky Alejandro Jodorowsky Prullansky (; born 17 February 1929) is a Chilean and French Experimental film, avant-garde filmmaker. Known for his films ''El Topo'' (1970), ''The Holy Mountain (1973 film), The Holy Mountain'' (1973) and ''Santa Sangre'' ...

in a backstreet bar in Mexico City inspired the psycho-magician to create the 1989 film ''

Santa Sangre ''Santa Sangre'' () is a 1989 surrealist psychological horror film directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky and written by Jodorowsky along with Claudio Argento and Roberto Leoni. It stars Axel Jodorowsky, Adán Jodorowsky, Teo Jodorowsky, Blanca G ...

'', based loosely on Cárdenas's life.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cardenas Hernandez, Gregorio 1915 births 1999 deaths 20th-century Mexican lawyers Escapees from Mexican detention Mexican escapees Mexican people convicted of murder Mexican murderers of children Mexican prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment Mexican serial killers National Autonomous University of Mexico alumni People convicted of murder by Mexico People from Mexico City Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Mexico Recipients of Mexican presidential pardons

Early life

Murders

Fame

See also

References