Juana Barraza, known as “The Lady of Silence” or “The Old Lady Killer”, was married in jail and has four children. Let’s meet the Mexican serial killer’s husband Miguel Quiróz, kids, and family.
Described by some outlets as “the best true crime documentary of the year,” Netflix’s The Lady of Silence: The Mataviejitas Murders chronicles the journey and victims of Mexico’s most prolific serial killer, Juana Barraza. Barraza is believed to have killed over 40 older women since the mid-’90s before she was finally caught in 2006.
As The Lady of Silence gives us some insight into what happened and why, we’re finally learning more about La Mataviejitas’s (which translates to The Old Lady Killer’s) victims. Barraza’s lore has stretched so deep in Mexico that there’s even a song about her. But one crucial question remains—was serial killer Juana Barraza married with children, and who are her parents?
Who is Juana Barraza, and what happened to her?
Coming from a broken home, Juana Barraza was born in 1957 but had a terrible childhood with an alcoholic mother who was alleged to be a sex worker. Her father was in law enforcement, but after his death, things became worse for Juana. Eventually, her mother died, and she moved to Mexico City, where she would take on various jobs.
She would find work in the entertainment profession as a masked wrestler, but financial problems would lead her down a criminal path. Along with a friend who acted as an accomplice, she would form a plan to rob older people disguised as a nurse to gain their trust.
In 1996, she would instigate her plan with the help of her friend, Araceli Tapia Martínez. Disguised as nurses, they gained access to their victims’ homes and started a campaign of terror and murder.
As the murder count rose, the killings became known as “La Mataviejitas” or The Old Lady Killer, and Barraza would be responsible for the death of what is now thought to be over forty murders over seven years.
Mistakes in the investigation allowed the attacks to continue, with authorities believing the attacker was male and assuming the male attacker was dressed as a woman to commit the crimes, despite some witnesses claiming it was a female they should be looking for.
Eventually, Barraza would be disturbed while in a lady’s house by a neighbor who would pursue her when she fled. Alerting a nearby police car, she would be captured and finally arrested.
Where is Juana Barraza now?
A trial would result in Barraza being found guilty of eleven counts of murder and charges of aggravated murder. A sentence of seven hundred and fifty-nine years, the highest sentence ever given in Mexico, was handed down.
She currently remains in a Mexican jail.
Who are Juana Barraza’s parents?
The murderer was born with the real name Juana Dayanara Barraza Sampeiro in Epazoyucan, Hidalgo, a rural area north of Mexico City. Her parents’ names are Justa Samperio (mother) and Trinidad Barraza (father).
While her dad was in law enforcement, her mom was an alcoholic.
Spending most of her time with her mom, she had a traumatic childhood of neglect and abuse as she would give her to men in exchange for three beers.
Sources suggest she targetted older women in her killing spree because of how badly her mother treated her
Her mother would eventually die from cirrhosis.
There are no reports about her having siblings.
Juana Barraza has made the most of her time in prison by working as a gym instructor and selling tacos to support her family.
Prior to her arrest, Barraza was a professional wrestler under the ring name of La Dama del Silencio (The Lady of Silence). She had a strong interest in lucha libre, a form of Mexican masked professional wrestling.
Is Juana Barraza married?
While in jail there emerged a report about her marriage. She got married to her husband named Miguel Quiróz for two years. They tied the knot in 2015, however, they divorced along the line in her sentence. She also had several relationships before she was jailed.
Did Juana Barraza have kids?
Mexican serial killer, Juana Barraza is a mother of four. The known name of her kids is José Enrique Lugo Barraza.
She reportedly had her children with different men from failed relationships with one being a bar owner her mom usually exchanged her for bottles of beer and left her in his care. She was repeatedly raped by this said man and became pregnant.
Her eldest son died from injuries sustained in a mugging.