Luis Garavito. True Crime Serial Killers

Between 1992 and 1999, Colombia was stalked by one of the most prolific serial killers in history: Luis Garavito, known as La Bestia - The Beast. Behind a disarming smile, Garavito lured vulnerable boys from the streets with promises of food, work, or kindness. What followed was unimaginable cruelty. His victims-often poor, often invisible to society-were abducted, tortured, and murdered, their disappearances hidden in the chaos of a nation ravaged by cartel violence and systemic corruption.
Luis Garavito: True Crime Serial Killers is not a sensationalist retelling. It is a meticulously researched account built from police records, trial transcripts, and firsthand testimonies. Criminologist Johann Bachmann takes readers deep into the investigation that exposed Garavito's crimes, revealing how he evaded capture for nearly a decade and why so many children were left unprotected. At its core, this book is about more than a killer.
It is about a society that failed its most vulnerable citizens, a justice system paralyzed by fear and corruption, and the mothers and investigators who refused to remain silent. Readers will meet Elena Gómez, who transformed her grief into a crusade; Miguel Torres, a market vendor whose silence reflects a community's paralysis; and Detective Javier Morales, who risked everything to stop La Bestia.
This is a story of darkness-but also of resilience. It forces us to confront the question: how does evil thrive in plain sight, and what must change to ensure it never happens again?For readers of true crime, criminology, and investigative nonfiction, Luis Garavito: True Crime Serial Killers is a haunting exploration of one of the world's deadliest predators and the broken systems that allowed him to flourish.