Juana Barraza Samperio, known as “La Mataviejitas”, was sentenced on March 31, 2008 to 759 years and 17 days in prison for the murder of 17 elderly women and 12 robberies committed between the late 1990s and early 2000s in Mexico City.
Although the sentence is historic, by law she can only serve a maximum of 50 years in prison, which would keep her incarcerated until around 2056; after being incarcerated, it transpired that she was baptized and a current photo was taken.
La Mataviejitas’: Myths and fears at Santa Martha Acatitla
Considered one of the country’s first modern serial killers, her case made an impact because of the preponderance of the profile: a woman who, under the guise of a social worker or nurse, tricked lonely elderly women, strangled them and then stole their belongings.
Currently incarcerated in the Santa Martha Acatitla Women’s Social Reinsertion Center, her presence continues to generate fear among the inmates.
The nickname and her way of acting created legends within the prison, despite the relative ordinariness that also characterizes her.
Her figure has been described as imposing: she is about 6’4″, stout and reserved.
Shocking testimony from Instagram
A former prison inmate, identified as Fernanda (@reasdeturquesa), recently shared on Instagram an unknown experience about living with Barraza. According to her testimony:
Juana ‘La Mataviejitas’ was imposing and far from reigning fear, her figure commanded respect.
Fernanda said that Barraza killed old women “because in each woman she killed the memory of her grandmother,” herself a victim of child abuse and maternal neglect. This resentment intensified after the death of her son.
Despite his past, he runs a food stand in prison and “cooks very well,” said the former partner.
The former inmate felt no fear, only a deep mixture of sadness and morbid interest in learning her story.
She also shared an unpublished image of Barraza’s internal religious baptism, where she is surrounded by other inmates and men, dressed in a navy blue uniform.
The ceremony would have been Christian, an unusual rite within the prison.
Behind bars: daily life in prison
Juana Barraza ‘La Mataviejitas’ has participated in activities such as selling tacos and even in collective weddings in the prison, painting herself as a character of internal survival.
In 2015 she married another inmate, although the bond later ended in divorce.
She was also baptized inside the penitentiary.
It is known that in July 2025 she suffered a femur fracture and was transferred to Xoco General Hospital for medical attention, an event that evidences her advanced age and current conditions.
En la foto más reciente, se puede ver a 'La Mataviejitas' muy sonriente y físicamente repuesta
The significance of this case
For U.S. Hispanic readers, especially those interested in security and justice, the Barraza case is a study in:
Violence against older women and its invisibilization.
The transformation from a public figure (fighter) to a notorious criminal.
How myths are built around serial criminals and how this influences within correctional institutions.
The perception of the Mexican justice system in the face of atypical crimes committed by women.
Find out more at ‘QueOnnda.com’.
