Raul Osiel Marroquin

Case record: Raúl Osiel Marroquín Reyes

Personal details

Raúl Osiel Marroquín Reyes was born around 1981 in Tampico, Tamaulipas. At the news conference on Thursday, Raúl Osiel Marroquín was described as 29.

Marroquín was known as “El Sádico”.

Background

Marroquín confessed to luring gay men from bars in order to kill them. Police said he tortured his victims before killing them, including hanging or choking, and they said he had even carved a star into the forehead of one man.

Authorities also announced the arrest of a former soldier in the serial killings of gay men.

The offence

Marroquín killed four gay men. He described killing “four homosexuals.”

Police said Marroquín was accused of kidnapping two other gay men, and that he released the men after a ransom was paid. Police said ransoms were “up to 120,000 pesos (US$11,500.)”

Bodies were later put inside suitcases and abandoned in different locations around Mexico City.

Investigation

Marroquín was captured on January 23, 2006.

Police said they had enough evidence to believe he was responsible for the murder of four victims.

Marroquín was paraded in front of the media, where prosecutors said he confessed to killing at least some of his victims.

Arrest

Marroquín was arrested on Monday, and his arrest was described as the first confirmation of a serial killer that had targeted homosexuals.

A news conference described the police and prosecutors practice in Mexico City of parading suspects in front of the media.

Trial

Marroquín was found guilty of the murder of four victims.

Sentencing

On September 4, 2008, Mexico’s PGJDF sentenced Osiel Marroquín and Madrid Manuel to a total of almost 300 years in prison, though they were said to be most likely released in fifty years in accordance with current Mexican laws.

The current status field indicated: “Sentenced to 300 years in prison on September 4, 2008”.

Appeals

No appeals information was included.

Outcome

Marroquín was sentenced to a total of almost 300 years in prison.

Aftermath

Marroquín said he was not ashamed of his crimes, but was sorry for what his family was going through. He declared he had recurring dreams of his criminal career “improving” by selecting richer, more famous victims.

He said he would definitely kill again and try to be more careful about his methods, avoiding the mistakes that led to his capture.

Victims and method

Marroquín lured victims from gay bars and invited them to his apartment. Police said he strangled his victims.

He then asked the victim’s family for a ransom.

Police said he would meet his victims at bars and lure them away, then torture and hang the men.

One victim was described as having a star carved into his forehead.

Quotes (verbatim)

At a news conference, Raúl Osiel Marroquín said: “I snuffed out four homosexuals that in some way were affecting society.”

In the same news coverage, Raúl Osiel Marroquín told reporters he would kill again, but would “refine his methods.”

At the news conference, he also denied being homophobic.

Other details

Police said Marroquín had a partner, Juan Enrique Madrid Manuel, who was presumably an assistant in the process of abducting victims.