Talk:Pedro López (serial killer)

message: What is the source for this article?
http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/notorious/pedro_lopez/1.html?sect=1 seems to be the master web article.
I have looked at the reference, its own bibliography refers to two web-sites that appear to be defunct, and one that has only a tiny article (apparently derived from the Book Of Lists - '90's Edition), which differs in the number of rapists in prison.
I have searched the BBC site to  no avail.
The many other references I found on the web are either re-hashes of David Lohr's article (e.g. http://horrorthirst.com/pedroalonzolopez1.php or is one of them the original?), just references or one even a rehash of this (wikipedia) article.
One states "Considering that it is in fact confirmed that Lopez killed as many as he claimed, it's incredible that there have yet to be any books written about his case. We can only find mention of him in random serial killer "encyclopedias"."
(Note that it was never confirmed according to any of the sources I have yet seen that he killed anyone, only that he lead the police to a mass grave of about 50 presumed victims.)
There is a reference to http://www.serialhomicide.com/cases.htm which I could not follow up since this rotates daily, but the extensive quote indicates it's the same old text.
This site gives a different MO, http://www.fortunecity.com/roswell/streiber/273/lopez_mo.htm
There appears to have been an interview with Ron Laytner of the National Examiner
Lohr gives the date as Jan 1999 (after the publication of another of his sources The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers, by Michael Newton December 1999, Facts on File; ISBN: 081603978X )
Interestingly this (odd) page gives a more accurate date.
http://www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/nicaragua/510/serlopez.html 
[...]
(The following was taken from
the National Examiner/ Jan 12 1999/
Page 6-7)
[...]
"Now, 1998 the 47 year-old madman
has been released from prison even
when he has declared that: "He will
be happy to kill again"."
and attempts to include a photo from the article.
One may think it irrelevant but (if that date is corect) the same issue and page contains the article mentioned at http://www.parascope.com/nb/uforoundup/uforoundup990118.htm  "Loch Ness turtle terrorizes Vietnam".
A to Z Encyclopedia of Serial Killers (Pub 1997) (Pocket Books True Crime) states that he "killed scores of Ecuadorian Women" (note: not young girls)
According to the 1992-5 edition of The Encyclopedia Lopez was captured after being followed by the  mother of an abducted girl form a market to the edge of town, where native Indians intervened.  (According to Lohr et al, market traders pursued him.)
The reference given is to The  Worlds Most Infamous Murders by Boar and Blundell - Octopus London 1983 (I am trying to get a copy)
In summary, shortly after the publication of an edition of The Encyclopedia a somewhat sensational journal publishes a purported interview with Lopez and we have a load of details appearing.  There  is no guarantee that Lopez, if interviewed, was actually telling the truth, or indeed that he told the truth to the police earlier. This may have been a tale that grew in the telling.
Rich Farmbrough 23:48, 20 Aug 2004 (UTC)
thread_title: Source

message: History channel has released a documentary about Pedro Lopez with first hand accounts from Lopez himself, the police and families of the victims. This documentary confirms Lopes existence that is unless you believe this is a very well made hoax which I personally don't believe the History Channel would take part in. I have inserted links to the documentary here and under external links on the main page. *Links to History Channel Documentary on youTube Part 1-5. This documentary includes many first hand accounts 
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRHprJUV6-Q 
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuoIS-DIbUw 
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KSLVOZpje0 
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4yiEYBGL-s 
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh2rHllyOBs
K Eriksen - 10 Aug 2007  
Thanks for the links, I watched the film, as mentioned below.   The links are now dead, as the account that uploaded them has been suspended/deleted or something.  I have just managed to find a physical copy of the A&E video, though it is in VHS format.  All the best: Rich Farmbrough, 19:04, 28 September 2019 (UTC)
thread_title: DOCUMENTARY FROM HISTORY CHANNEL ABOUT LOPEZ SEEMS TO CONFIRM HIS STORY

message: I've recently been doing a little research online looking at South American newspapers, and came across this article below (in Spanish) about Pedro Lopez. It cites the same major facts as other sources and suggests he was provisionally released in 1993. Other papers had nothing in their archives and one editor responded to my queries by saying he'd turned up no articles. You decide.
J U S T I C I A
El regreso del ?monstruo?
Hay alarma en Colombia por la posible presencia del mayor asesino de niñas de la historia.
A la mayoria de los colombianos el nombre de Pedro Alonso López no les dice nada. Sin embargo hoy tiene en máxima alerta a la Interpol, a la Policía, a la Fiscalía y a los organismos de seguridad colombianos. Y no es para menos. Más conocido con el nombre de ?Monstruo de los Andes?, este tolimense nacido en 1949 sembró el terror en Colombia, Perú y especialmente en Ecuador pues asesinó en estos tres países a cerca de 300 niñas entre los 8 y los 13 años durante la década de los 70. La aterradora cifra de víctimas tiene a López, aún hoy, 20 años después de descubrirse sus crímenes, encabezando el macabro listado internacional de los mayores asesinos en serie de la historia del cual hace parte otro colombiano, Luis Alfredo Garavito, quien fue capturado por la Fiscalía General a finales de 1999 sindicado de asesinar a 140 niños en diferentes regiones del país 
La historia de López estremece hasta al más curtido detective de homicidios. Escudado por la fachada de ser un humilde vendedor ambulante llegó a Ecuador en 1973. Desde ese año y hasta 1980 la policía de ese país, así como sus colegas en Colombia y Perú, estuvieron desconcertados por las numerosas y misteriosas denuncias por desapariciones de niñas entre 8 y 13 años que se presentaban en las tres naciones. Las hipótesis que en ese momento manejaron las autoridades de los tres países señalaban como posibles responsables de las desapariciones a una red de tráfico de menores de edad con destino a las casas de prostitución que estarían operando en la zona andina. Sin embargo fue una casualidad la que terminó descubriendo los crímenes de López. 
A comienzos de marzo de 1980 una inundación en el pequeño pueblo de Tungurahua, Ecuador, desenterró el cadáver de un niña de 10 años dedicada a la venta de periódicos y quien pocos días antes había sido reportada por sus padres como desaparecida. Durante la investigación por este caso el mayor de la policía Telmo Tamayo llevó a López a la sede del Servicio de Investigación Criminal de Tungurahua para efectuar un interrogatorio de rutina ya que algunos testigos lo habían visto conversando con la pequeña vendedora de periódicos. En la declaración oficial de ese lunes 10 de marzo de 1980 López no sólo reconoció y describió detalladamente como violó, ahorcó y sepultó bajo un puente a la niña de 10 años, sino que confesó ser el responsable de asesinar de la misma forma a cerca de 200 niñas más en otras ciudades del Ecuador. Aterrorizados por el cruel relato los policías ecuatorianos inicialmente no le creyeron. Sólo aceptaron la realidad cuando el colombiano llevó a los agentes a 50 lugares diferentes alrededor de Tungurahua, en donde él mismo desenterró los cuerpos de sus pequeñas víctimas. 
La confesión permitió a las autoridades ecuatorianas, peruanas y colombianas encontrar otros lugares, en cada uno de esos países, en donde el ?Monstruo de los Andes? había sepultado a sus víctimas. López fue condenado a 30 años de prisión en Ecuador. Sin embargo, gracias a una serie de rebajas en su condena, salió de la cárcel en libertad provisional en 1993. Al poco tiempo de estar de nuevo en las calles en diferentes ciudades de Perú se volvieron a registrar nuevas desapariciones de menores de edad y las autoridades de ese país sindican a López como el responsable ya que los homicidios que se han presentado tienen su sello característico. Según las investigaciones adelantadas por las autoridades colombianas los movimientos migratorios de López y una serie de desapariciones de menores de edad en el país les permiten asegurar que se encuentra en territorio colombiano. La Policía, el DAS, la Fiscalía y la Interpol en Colombia han iniciado una gran ofensiva con el fin de dar con su paradero y esperan que con la colaboración de la ciudadanía puedan poner punto final a esta pesadilla que ha regresado del pasado.
Edición:  1006  
Fecha:  2001-08-10  
Sección:  Nacion  
Caracteres:  3879
---
===Google translate===
J U S T I C I A Return of? Monster? There is alarm in Colombia by the presence of girls biggest murderer in history. In the majority of Colombians the name of Pedro Alonso Lopez says nothing. But today is on high alert to Interpol, the police, the Prosecutor and the Colombian security agencies. And no wonder. Also known by the name of? Monster of the Andes?, This tolimense born in 1949 sowed terror in Colombia, Ecuador Peru and especially because in these three countries killed about 300 girls between 8 and 13 years during the decade of 70. The death toll is frightening Lopez, even today, 20 years after discovery of their crimes, the macabre leading international listing of the biggest mass murderers in history which is part of another Colombian, Luis Alfredo Garavito, who was captured by the Attorney General in late 1999 accused of killing 140 children in different regions
Lopez's story thrills even the most seasoned homicide detective. Shielded by the facade of being a humble peddler came to Ecuador in 1973. From that year until 1980 the police in that country as well as colleagues in Colombia and Peru, were baffled by the numerous reports of mysterious disappearances of girls between 8 and 13 who presented in the three nations. The hypothesis that at the time managed the authorities of the three countries identified as possibly responsible for the disappearances of a network of minor traffic destined for the brothels that would be operating in the Andean region. However, it was a chance that finished revealing the crimes of Lopez.
In early March 1980 a flood in the small town of Tungurahua, Ecuador, dug up the corpse of a girl of 10 years dedicated to the sale of newspapers and who a few days earlier had been reported missing by their parents. During the investigation into this case, the police major Telmo Lopez Tamayo was the headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Service Tungurahua to perform routine questioning as witnesses had seen him talking to the little selling newspapers. In the official statement that Monday March 10, 1980 Lopez not only recognized and described in detail how violated, hanged and buried under a bridge to the 10 year old girl, but confessed being responsible for killing the same way about 200 girls in other cities of Ecuador. Terrified by the cruel story Ecuadorian police initially did not believe him. Only accepted when the Colombian reality led officers to 50 different places around Tungurahua, where he unearthed the bodies of their young victims.
The confession allowed authorities to Ecuadorian, Peruvian and Colombian find other places, in each of these countries, where? Monster of the Andes? had buried his victims. Lopez was sentenced to 30 years in prison in Ecuador. However, thanks to a series of reductions in his sentence, was released from prison on parole in 1993. Soon to be back on the streets in various cities in Peru re-registered new disappearances of minors and the authorities of that country accuse Lopez as responsible as the murders that have occurred have been their trademark. According to investigations conducted by the Colombian authorities migration of Lopez and a series of disappearances of children in the country allow them to ensure that it is in Colombia. The police, the DAS, the Prosecutor and Interpol in Colombia have launched a major offensive to their whereabouts and hope that with the cooperation of the public to put an end to this nightmare that has come back from the past.
:Notable differences in the other variations of the story, no being chased and caught by street traders, release in 1993, no extradition. Biggest difference is the suggestion that he has resumed killing in Columbia.
Rich Farmbrough, 01:05, 30 December 2011 (UTC)
thread_title: South American newspaper

message: J U S T I C I A Return of? Monster? There is alarm in Colombia by the presence of girls biggest murderer in history. In the majority of Colombians the name of Pedro Alonso Lopez says nothing. But today is on high alert to Interpol, the police, the Prosecutor and the Colombian security agencies. And no wonder. Also known by the name of? Monster of the Andes?, This tolimense born in 1949 sowed terror in Colombia, Ecuador Peru and especially because in these three countries killed about 300 girls between 8 and 13 years during the decade of 70. The death toll is frightening Lopez, even today, 20 years after discovery of their crimes, the macabre leading international listing of the biggest mass murderers in history which is part of another Colombian, Luis Alfredo Garavito, who was captured by the Attorney General in late 1999 accused of killing 140 children in different regions
Lopez's story thrills even the most seasoned homicide detective. Shielded by the facade of being a humble peddler came to Ecuador in 1973. From that year until 1980 the police in that country as well as colleagues in Colombia and Peru, were baffled by the numerous reports of mysterious disappearances of girls between 8 and 13 who presented in the three nations. The hypothesis that at the time managed the authorities of the three countries identified as possibly responsible for the disappearances of a network of minor traffic destined for the brothels that would be operating in the Andean region. However, it was a chance that finished revealing the crimes of Lopez.
In early March 1980 a flood in the small town of Tungurahua, Ecuador, dug up the corpse of a girl of 10 years dedicated to the sale of newspapers and who a few days earlier had been reported missing by their parents. During the investigation into this case, the police major Telmo Lopez Tamayo was the headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Service Tungurahua to perform routine questioning as witnesses had seen him talking to the little selling newspapers. In the official statement that Monday March 10, 1980 Lopez not only recognized and described in detail how violated, hanged and buried under a bridge to the 10 year old girl, but confessed being responsible for killing the same way about 200 girls in other cities of Ecuador. Terrified by the cruel story Ecuadorian police initially did not believe him. Only accepted when the Colombian reality led officers to 50 different places around Tungurahua, where he unearthed the bodies of their young victims.
The confession allowed authorities to Ecuadorian, Peruvian and Colombian find other places, in each of these countries, where? Monster of the Andes? had buried his victims. Lopez was sentenced to 30 years in prison in Ecuador. However, thanks to a series of reductions in his sentence, was released from prison on parole in 1993. Soon to be back on the streets in various cities in Peru re-registered new disappearances of minors and the authorities of that country accuse Lopez as responsible as the murders that have occurred have been their trademark. According to investigations conducted by the Colombian authorities migration of Lopez and a series of disappearances of children in the country allow them to ensure that it is in Colombia. The police, the DAS, the Prosecutor and Interpol in Colombia have launched a major offensive to their whereabouts and hope that with the cooperation of the public to put an end to this nightmare that has come back from the past.
:Notable differences in the other variations of the story, no being chased and caught by street traders, release in 1993, no extradition. Biggest difference is the suggestion that he has resumed killing in Columbia.
Rich Farmbrough, 01:05, 30 December 2011 (UTC)
thread_title: Google translate

message: http://noticias.ya.com/archivo/mundo2002/0630.htm
noticias > hemeroteca > Mundo 2002 >  30/06/2002
[...]
World 2002   > 30/06/2002
[...]
04:40 - Europa Press
Muere en la cárcel el "monstruo de los Andes", un guerrillero acusado de asesinar a unos 200 insurgentessss
:) allegedly.... Rich Farmbrough 19:49, 28 Aug 2004 (UTC)
thread_title:  Report of death 

message: A usenet article... quotes this extract from the New York Times.
"The Guinness Book of World Records lists another Colombian, Pedro Armando
Lopez, known here as the "Monster of the Andes," as the largest-scale serial
killer of modern times. He is believed to have killed more than 300 girls and
young women in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru before being captured in Ecuador and
convicted of 57 counts of murder there in 1980. 
Lopez served 16 years in an Ecuadorean prison, but because that country does
not have a law that permits consecutive sentences, he was released and deported
back to Colombia. His present whereabouts are not known, but it is presumed he
is living under an assumed identity. "
And implies that Columbia no longer ha the death penalty
http://64.78.63.75/samples/04CJ103SiegelCriminology8Ch11.pdf
quotes the same info about Pedro "Armando" Lopez derived from the same article their
153. Larry Rohter, "In The Chaos of Columbia, The makings of a Mass Killer" NYT 1st November 1999.
Oh yes, he's not in UK GBR 1980, 2000 or 2002.
Rich Farmbrough 22:07, 28 Aug 2004 (UTC)
thread_title:  Guinness Book Of Records/Usenet/New York Times 

message: You guys figured out the writers Most Infamous. I've been using that as a source for years with no idea about the authors.  Good job! Thanos6 14:45, 4 March 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Holy hell 

message: I came to this article from the Wikipedia list of "Fictitious People," yet I don't see that Pedro Lopez is clearly identified as fictitious.  This article makes him sound like a real person.  Yopienso 16:21, 21 April 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I came to the same conclusion.  If there is disbelief about Pedro Lopez being a real person, more information should be provided.  Given that the article includes significant biographical information, it appears at first glance to be undoubtedly a real person. GCD1 18:33, 13 July 2007 (UTC)

text: It's very hard to tell (for me at least). I think it's safe to say that a lot of the information going around about him isn't true, but there have been video and pictures of a man identified as Lopez, and a number of reliable sources have reported on him. What to make of all this, I don't know. It's probably best to withhold judgement and just report what the sources say, making note where they contradict or reference spurious material.--Cúchullain t/c 19:49, 13 July 2007 (UTC)

text: A&E did a biography on him. I would not necessarily say it was good, as I don't have access to the papers they whizzed past the camera. The footage there is all we have, and there is little provenance for it. I can find no contemporary newspaper records of what would have been a sensational trial. Rich Farmbrough, 00:46, 30 December 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  Fact or fiction? 

message: This article was automatically  assessed because at least one project was rated and this bot brought all the other ratings up to at least that level. BetacommandBot 00:27, 28 August 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  WikiProject class rating

message: The end sentence; reason: 
# About.com is not always a reliable source, in this case the author, though doubtless splendiferous private investigator, appears to simple have written up the standard story, probably from Crime Library, Erols and WP.
# Erols is useful in that it reproduces four  news articles: however the latter two by out old friend Ron Laytner, apparently in permanent residence in Quito.   The two articles have different dates for Lopez's release, and new quotes - again different from one another - about stalking English or Scottish girls. These articles were written for Scottish papers.  Rich Farmbrough, 11:44, 17 October 2010 (UTC)
thread_title: Sentence removed

message: Under his background information, he is listed as being convicted of Grand Theft Auto, which redirects to the video game series.  I'm fairly new to editing wikipedia, so I wanted to confirm that the link should be changed to the name of the actual crime.  Thanks!  Magicmonkeybob (talk) 16:46, 26 October 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: Thanks will check. Also GTA is an American (USian) crime. Rich Farmbrough, 09:52, 12 November 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Grand Theft Auto 

message: I noticed for April to June or July the page got many more hits on or around the 20th of the month. Does this correspond to a magazine or television programme?  Rich Farmbrough, 09:52, 12 November 2010 (UTC)
thread_title: Stats

message: ... has to be a joke!
"He has not been heard from or seen since his release and to date, no-one knows if López is dead or alive."
This is supposed to be an encyclopedia not a horror-novel!  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 194.95.117.68 (talk) 14:37, 27 April 2011 (UTC)
replies: text:  That can't be right, someone always knows. We don't know if nobody knows where he is.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.226.241.140 (talk) 06:25, 19 December 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  The last part of this sentence... 

message: http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2206&dat=19810128&id=PrYlAAAAIBAJ&sjid=T_MFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2807,2049662
Rich Farmbrough, 01:12, 30 December 2011 (UTC)
thread_title: Alternative source for one AP report

message: * Edit International is Ron Laytner's own website. It is not a WP:RS - except of Laytner's claims.
* The national Student is not particularly reliable either.  It gets confused about other dates, who known where it got the date of birth from. 
All the best: Rich Farmbrough, 20:46, 14 October 2015 (UTC)
thread_title: Edit International (and other sources)

message: £8.99 for the kindle edition.  Does not look very scholarly - but has a lot on Lopez.  Can't see the end of the book, so can't tell if it's referenced at all, but there are no footnotes. All the best: Rich Farmbrough, 21:30, 14 October 2015 (UTC)
thread_title: Book

message: Hello fellow Wikipedians,
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thread_title:  External links modified 

message: This article is way too short in respects to its subject. Considering Pedro López's body count there should be WAY more information on him that what currently is. More information on Lopezs history, murders, and victims needs to be added with important citations for each piece of information added.--Paleface Jack (talk) 21:52, 7 October 2018 (UTC)
replies: text: User:Paleface Jack you are correct.  And that is one reason why I doubt most of this story.  The only sources I could find prior to the Biography Channel documentary were two AP wire reports, and articles by Ron Laytner. Everything else seems to derive from Laytner's articles. All the best: Rich Farmbrough, 20:35, 11 May 2019 (UTC)
thread_title: Expansion

message: It is not ok to simply change dates to the current year - if sources did not know where he was in 2017, we cannot just say that they do not know where he was in 2018 or 2019 without finding sources from that year that say they do not know where he is.  And proper independent sources, not cut and paste blogs.
Also do not change the "date=" in a citation, unless the cited article has been updated.  You can, I suppose, change the accessdate, if you check that everything cited is still in the source, but I see little advantage to doing that.
All the best: Rich Farmbrough, 19:31, 28 September 2019 (UTC)
thread_title: Dates

message: "Pablo Faguero" according to articles in The Scotsman, Ecuador's prisons minister, cannot be found on the Internet - except in pages relating to Lopez.  Our coverage of Ecuadoran politics is woefully inadequate, I would have expected we would have every minister at least listed, so we could validate this detail.  All the best: Rich Farmbrough, 00:01, 30 December 2019 (UTC)
thread_title: Another odd name

message: Looking over this article, and considering how prolific Lopez is, I am shocked to see how underdeveloped this article is. There is not a lot of information about Lopez in here and most of it is very poorly detailed. It is also worth mentioning that this article should have higher importance than it has been given, all things considering. With all of this in mind, the article deserves a reevaluation and a complete overhaul to bring it up to par with the quality that meets Wikipiedia's standards. Paleface Jack (talk) 15:58, 19 April 2022 (UTC)
replies: text: I already started on just that. I've already overhauled the lead section and will be starting on the rest of the article shortly. Comitialbulb561 (talk) 19:59, 20 January 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  Expansion 

message: HOW COULD A CASE SUCH AS THIS HAVE NO LIFE IN PRISON? WHAT ARE PEOPLE THINKING, HE JUST WALKS FREE AND PEOPLE ARE OK WITH THAT? 202.125.18.105 (talk) 08:01, 3 December 2022 (UTC)
thread_title:  NOT ENOUGH INFORMATION FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS 

message: My significant copy edit has concluded: there is now much more information in the article, and it is worded a lot better. 
Bear with me though, there is a lot of discrepancy between certain sources (likely things getting lost in translation), but I have done my best to make this as factually accurate as possible. Keep in mind that this uses sources cited on the article's Spanish Wikipedia equivalent. Comitialbulb561 (talk) 20:21, 29 April 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  Success!