Madman of the route

On 29 November 1995, the body of 35-year-old María Esther Amaro was found on the side of Provincial Route 55. She had been strangled, and the word puta (bitch) had been written on her back with a sharp object, presumably a knife. On 1 December 1996, the naked body of 26-year-old Adriana Jaqueline Fernández, an artisan and prostitute from Uruguay, was found under a bridge along National Route 226. The last confirmed homicide attributed to the Madman took place on 20 October 1998. On that day, the legs of 25-year-old María del Carmen Leguizamón were found on Provincial Route 88, near Barrio Las Heras. The rest of her body was never found. Additionally, between 21 July 1997, and 1999, a total of nine other prostitutes disappeared: Ana María Nores, Patricia Angélica Prieto, Silvana Paola Caraballo, Claudia Jacqueline Romero, Verónica Andrea Chávez, Mirta Bordón, Sandra Villanueva, Mercedes Almaraz and Fernanda Varón. Despite the fact that they have never been found, their disappearances are also attributed to the Madman. == Investigation ==

In response to the crimes, the Ministry of Justice and Security announced a reward of 30,000 pesos for anyone who could provide information leading to the killer's arrest. This was later increased to 500,000 pesos. In 1997, the Buenos Aires Police Department created a "Serial Homicide Division" and asked for advice from the FBI and the French National Police. Genetic tests concluded that they were of human origin, but had no relation to the deaths and disappearances. Days later, a diary with the names and telephone numbers of her regular clients were found inside her home. Among them were police officers and politicians, including prosecutor Marcelo García Berro. As a result, Judge Pedro Hooft ordered to intercept all registered phone numbers and to investigate all calls from the Salta 1337 brothel, where at least three of the twelve victims worked. On 9 August, Hooft ordered the arrest of ten police officers and four civilians who were formally accused in the disappearances of Nores, Chávez and Caraballo. They were also investigated for involvement in the other cases, but were never tried for lack of evidence. The group was allegedly led by lieutenant Alberto Adrián Iturburu and protected by Berro. According to the case file, the gang was in charge of extorting prostitutes by forcing them to pay 100 pesos in order to "protect" and let them work. Thus, in theory, those who did not pay or wanted out of the deal would be killed. Despite the investigators' best efforts, the gang could never be linked to the three disappearances, nor to the other deaths, and were acquitted in 2004. To this day, all murders and disappearances linked to this case remain unsolved. == Known suspects ==

• The "Police Mafia" led by Alberto Adrián Iturburu: brought to trial, but acquitted, in the disappearances of Nores, Chávez and Caraballo. Despite this, they remain the most popular suspects, with many believing that the "Madman of the route" was an invention by Berro to cover up their crimes. • Guillermo Moreno: pig farmer and partner of Amaro at the time of her disappearance. He was tried for her murder in 2003 but was found not guilty and acquitted of all charges. Despite this, some people still believe that he was the Madman. • Margarita "Pepita la Pistolera" Di Tullio: thief, drug trafficker and pimp who owned two brothels in Buenos Aires Province. She is best known for killing three men who attempted to rape her in 1985, in what was deemed a justified homicide. Some believe that she may have been the Madman since five of the victims had previously worked for her, but the prevailing sentiment was that she was framed by police. • José Luis Andújar: owner of the "Jardín Boliviano" disco along Province Route 88, where several of the victims were found or disappeared. The police confiscated his car, a burgundy Ford Galaxy, as it matched the description of the killer's supposed vehicle. Likewise, several prostitutes accused him of being the Madman because he supposedly resembled the suspect. He has since been cleared as a suspect and continues to assert his innocence. • Celso Luis Arrastía: serial killer who was convicted and sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for murdering two prostitutes in 1988, but is generally thought to be responsible for five in total. Some people suggested that he might be responsible due to the similarities in the crimes, but he has been cleared as a suspect. == In popular culture ==

In 2007, the mystery novel ''The Seer's Prayer (Spanish: La plegaria del vidente''), written by Carlos Balmaceda, was published. It was inspired by the case, and in 2011, it was adapted into film. The song 'Desmembrado', released by Argentine death metal band Morferus in 2019, is also inspired by this case. == See also ==