Killer Stories with Harvey Guillén - “The Narcosatanist” Adolfo Constanzo Pt. 2

Episode Date: May 20, 2021

After amassing wealth and influence as a spiritual advisor in the 1980s, Adolfo Constanzo set his sights on the lucrative drug trade in Matamoros. To claim a piece for himself, he needed more power. And for that, he turned to one thing: human sacrifice.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Due to the graphic nature of this killer's crimes, listener discretion is advised. This episode includes discussions of murder, rape, human sacrifice, torture, and body mutilation that some people may find offensive. We advise extreme caution for children under 13. 26-year-old Adolfo Constanzo was trapped. Stuck in a dingy hotel room. He tried frantically to think of his next move. He needed to find a way out of this mess. If Constanzo felt concerned, it was nothing to what his companions were going through.

Surrounding him in the darkened room were his two lovers, as well as another two of his closest, most loyal subjects. Just weeks ago, they'd been willing to follow their leader El Padrino, wherever he led. But now... Circumstances had changed. It was getting more and more difficult to believe the lies Constanzo had told them. He said he was powerful. that no authority could touch him, that he would protect them with his dark magic. Everyone had believed him. It was the one thing they had in common, but as they sat on the hotel beds watching

Constanzo flipped through TV channels, all they shared now was doubt. Then something happened to turn the blood in their veins to ice, footage on the news of a burning shed and a metal cauldron full of dancing flames. To anyone else, it was a curious but unremarkable image, but it was a dire omen for Constanzo and his followers. The shed, now crumbling into ash,

was their sacred temple, the home of their sacred and Ganga, the source of all Constanso's powers, but now it was burning, surely destroying all the dark magic they'd created. At that moment, an idea passed through everyone in the room,

one they'd studiously avoided considering for so long. Like their power, their time was running out. And like Constanzo's magic, the end was sure to be bloody. Hi, I'm Greg Paulson. Welcome to our final episode on Adolfo Constanso of Anarchosatainists, part of a special crossover event between serial killers and cults. I'm here with my co-host, Vanessa Richardson. Hi, everyone.

You can find episodes of serial killers, cults and all other Spotify originals from Parcast for free on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. Last time we dove into Constanzo's childhood, his religious upbringing and the formation of his very own cult. We watched as he shifted from convincing spiritual advisor to ruthless killer. Today we're exploring Constanzo's growing obsession with his own power and wealth and the horrific human sacrifices he believed brought him success. also see as one gullible follower makes a mistake that brings everything crashing down. We've got all that and more coming up. Stay with us.

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He started out with simple fortune-telling and protection spells, but the allure of big money drew Constanzo to Mexico's drug-smuggling businesses. From there, things spiraled. In April of 1987, 24-year-old Constanzo crossed the threshold from religious fanatic to cold-blooded killer. As far as we know, the Calsada family were the first humans to die by Constanzo's hand,

and the massacre was inspired by a specific event when their patriarch, Guillermo, refused to split the family's drug profits with Constanzo in exchange for his mystical. protection. The slaughter might have been motivated by Constanzo's greed and rage, but in the end, it was manipulated to fit his religious convictions. In a dark twist, Constanceo used the organs and body parts to feed his magical cauldron, his Anganga. That wasn't all he took. Constanzo made off with at least $100,000 of the family's cash and drug stockpile. Then he left behind a house

riddled with bullet holes, pools of blood, broken eggs, and various smashed Christian statues. That was the scene that police found the day after the massacre. The empty home was clearly the sight of a bloody murder, but there wasn't much else to go on. Still, several things were clear from the jump. Girmal Calceda, his wife and mother, his business partner, secretary, maid, and bodyguard were all missing. Additionally, the smashed eggs and broken statues hinted at witchcraft. The involvement of a broujo, a witch, likely made some investigators wary, which might have slowed down the process. But about a week later, in early May, several naked bodies washed ashore the Rio Sumpango, just north of Mexico City. Each body was weighted with stones

and bore horrific signs of ritual mutilation. Three of the bodies were identified as Calcutta's secretary, maid, and bodyguard, but the other's identities were never confirmed. Investigators spoke to several local brujos, hoping to find a lead in the case, but they had no luck. No one seemed to know anything about the murders, and Adolfo Constanzo's name never came up in connection with the family. So interest in the case waned, and it eventually went cold, but in the meantime, things were only just heating up for Constanzo. About a month after the Calzada murders, Salvador Vidal Garcia Alarcon, one of Constanzo's most loyal followers, was promoted.

As part of his new rank within the country's Drug Enforcement Agency, 37-year-old Salvador was transferred to the small town of Matamoros on the U.S. Mexico border. When he heard the news, Constanza was thrilled. He knew that drug smugglers could make vast amounts of money in Matamoros, and he was determined to claim a slice of money. of the action for himself. He ordered Salvador to find him a way in, someone already involved in the narcotics trade who needed Constanzo's particular brand of magical assistance.

Just a couple of months later, Salvador called Constanzo with good news. He knew of the perfect people to bring into the fold. The Hernandez family had once been successful marijuana smugglers, but had fallen into disarray in recent months. They were in trouble. Salvador faithfully told his Padrino. They were perfect. It was music to Constanzo's ears, and he knew just what to do. First, he made the almost 600-mile journey to Matamoros, and then he waited. Constanzo had built his reputation in Mexico City over several years,

and he knew that setting himself up in a new place would take time. Before he could infiltrate the Hernandez family, he needed them to hear about his immense, immense mysterious power. And for that to happen, he needed at least one local devotee. Enter 22-year-old Sarah Maria Aldrete Villarreal. Sarah had spent her whole life in Montemoros. According to Edward Humes and his book Buried Secrets, Sarah saw more for her life than her hometown could offer, and she wasn't shy about her ambitions. She was always telling people, I deserve more. Just what she thought she deserved wasn't clear, but on July 30, 1987, something unexpected stopped her in her tracks. Constanzo saw Sarah driving around town and planted his car directly in front of hers, boxing her in.

The handsome Bruho refused to move until she agreed to talk to him. He said he wanted to know her. It was frustrating. It was conceited. It was charming. Vanessa is going to take over on the psychology here and throughout the episode. Please note, Vanessa is not a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist, but she has done a lot of research for this show.

Thanks, Greg. Although we have the benefit of knowing Constanzo's violent past, that's not a luxury Sarah enjoyed at the time, so it's understandable that she would be attracted to the handsome man in the nice car, especially when he went out of his way to make her feel objectified, and powerless. Already a master at manipulating and reading people, Constanzo seemed to understand what researchers have explored for years,

that people with lower self-esteem, or who are put into stressful situations, are more likely to be compliant. A 2003 study from Dr. Gisley-Gujanson and Professor Jan Friedrich Sigurdsen even suggested that women were more likely than men to be compliant when confronted with stress. Even though it's unlikely Constanzo had these kinds of scholarly insights,

he seemed to understand this phenomenon all the same and used it to his advantage. When Sarah agreed to the stranger's demand and slid into the back of his luxury town car, Constanceo fed her lies, eager to keep her close. He said he was a successful lawyer from Florida here on business for his clients from Columbia. Sarah didn't have to be a genius to know what that meant, but it's possible she found the potential of danger exciting. In any case, she was intrigued by Constanzo, with his all-white designer clothes and dark shoulder-length hair.

Over the next couple of weeks, she spent more and more time with him. Eventually, he insisted that she break up with her boyfriend to be with him. To prove how serious he was about her, he revealed the truth about himself. He was a federal agent working undercover in Matamoros. It was around this time that he first read Sarah's cards for her, demonstrating an uncanny ability to know things about her that she felt sure he shouldn't. He knew about her childhood, her family. He made predictions about her future.

It seemed completely magical. Of course, it wasn't magic at all. Constanzo's loyal lieutenant, Salvador, used his police connections to gather information on Sarah. When Constanzo's predictions started coming true, She knew she couldn't fight fate any longer and agreed to go out with him. At this point, Constanzo finally told Sarah something resembling the truth, that he was a witch who made money casting spells and reading fortunes. It was only partly true.

That had been Constanzo's vocation for a time, but now he was eager to become a player in the drug-smuggling business. And though she didn't know it, Sarah was his ticket in. You see, one of Constanzo's predictions for his newly besotted girlfriend was that an old lover would come to her with a problem. When that happened, Sarah promised she would bring him to Constanzo. The ex-boyfriend he had in mind was Elio Hernandez Rivera, noon leader of the flailing Hernandez family. This was the whole reason Constanso had targeted Sarah.

He wagered that Elio would eventually seek out his beautiful ex for comfort. He was right. In November of 1987, Elio approached Sarah with his troubles. His family business was struggling. He was in over his head and he didn't know what to do. But Sarah did. She told Elio she knew a man who could help him, a mystic with genuine magical powers.

A born salesperson, Sarah so thoroughly sold Constanzo's abilities that the young drug patriarch eagerly enlisted El Padrinos' help. Constanzo talked a big game. He boasted that by using the magical powers his religion gave to him, he would restore the Hernandez family's connections and power. And he made good on that promise, except instead of magic, he used Salvador's position in local law enforcement

to pull just the right strings. By the beginning of 1988, the Hernandez family was doing well again. Deals went off without a hitch. They avoided police at every turn, and money started to flow once more, enriching El Padrino as well. With the success, Elio, who had been feeling the pressure of the family business, was thoroughly bewitched by Constanzo. As was 23-year-old Sarah. By this stage, Constanzo had introduced her to the bloodier aspects of his worship, and even had her own altar set up in her apartment. He helped her carry out rituals, sacrificing chickens and goats,

so she could ask the Santeria gods for good grades in the upcoming semester. Eventually, though, Constanzo explained Palomioombay and how it would make her successful, wealthy, powerful. When he was sure of her loyalty and of her commitment, he told Sarah she was ready to be inducted at last. She would become Raiazo, an initiate in Palomaiombe. But she was to be more than that. Constanzo selected Sarah for an elevated position among his followers. He couldn't spend all his time at the border. His homes and two boyfriends were in Mexico City, after all.

But Sarah, a Matamoros local, could act as his eyes and ears. La Madrina, he named her, the godmother to his godfather. Her initiation ceremony happened in March of 1988. The following day, Elia Hernandez became Rialo as well, and Constanzo told him out things would work from now on. Constanzo promised to elevate the Hernandez family business using his magic and to eliminate rival traffickers who had moved to the area. In exchange, he was going to take half of the profits,

as well as what the family owed him for the rituals and spells he performed. Convinced of El Padino's power, Elio agreed to the arrangement. Next, Constanzo wanted to shore up his influence over the Hernandez clan. To that end, he ordered Elio, to bring to him the family members he trusted the most. One by one, El Padrino manipulated these five lieutenants, offering them things they wanted in exchange for their loyalty. To some, he offered a sense of power or safety.

In others, he recognized only a bloodthirsty desire to kill. Before long, he had enough Rayado in the Hernandez clan to ensure that the rest would fall in line. The takeover had been meticulous, carefully planned, and flawlessly executed. By the spring of 1988, El Padreino had made good on at least half of his promise. He'd restored the Hernandez family's fortunes. In doing so, he'd also increased his own wealth and power,

the two things he valued above all others. Now it was time to eliminate the competition. Coming up, El Padreino consolidates his power with human sacrifices. Wayne Simmons spent 27 years undercover for the CIA. When he retired from spy work, he got a big break, terrorism analyst on Fox News. Then he met Kent Clisby. So I'm a real CIA guy.

This is total nonsense. I'm Alex French, and I'm here to figure out who's telling the truth. Was Wayne Simmons a spy, or was he nothing but a con man? Impostors is a Spotify original from Parcast, follow and listen exclusively on Spotify. Are you looking for support in your weight management journey? Zepbound terseptitide may be able to help. Zepbound is a prescription medicine used with a reduced calorie diet

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include nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting, which can cause dehydration and worsen kidney problems. Talk to your doctor. Call 1-800-545-9979 or visit Zepbounds.lily.com. Now back to our story. By April of 1988, 25-year-old Adolfo Constanzo had fulfilled his promise to the Hernandez family in Matamoros, Mexico. He'd used his connections in the local police force to shore up the family's flagging drug trafficking business, claiming that it was his magic spells they had to thank. The more Constanzo proved his power, the more members of the family he welcomed into his growing cult. And to each new follower, he gave a warning.

My orders are the only ones that matter. He told them that to disobey meant slow, painful death. Whether he told them how that death would come is unclear, but it did the trick. He had complete control. But he knew he had to make good on the rest of his promise to the Hernandez's if he wanted to maintain his hold over them. Before Constanzo turned things around,

the family's dwindling share of the drug trafficking business had been picked up by other smugglers, in and around Matamoros. Consumed as he was with accumulating more wealth, more power, El Padreino would suffer no competition. He was invested in the Hernandez family now and needed to ensure their success continued. So that summer, Constanzo got to work preparing a new enganga,

one he intended to fill with the blood of their enemies. At this point, it feels important to point out the strange contradiction in Costanzo's actions. He spent a great great thing. great deal of time and energy on the theater of rituals and performing spells for the Hernandez family, selling them on the idea that it was his magic that brought about their success, that protected them from the cops. At the same time, he knew that it was his inside information from Salvador that ensured the family's success. It's difficult to pinpoint exactly what was going on here, but given that Constanzo grew up immersed in his religion and that he was always told he was

chosen. It seems likely that he genuinely believed in the powers he claimed to have. So it's possible that the information he got from Salvador worked as confirmation bias. According to Dr. Shahram Hashmat, confirmation bias occurs from the direct influence of desires on beliefs. In other words, it's akin to wishful thinking. Constanzo sought guidance and protection from the spirits in his Nga, and perhaps he believed that their answer was to send him a follower with the information he needed. So by continuing to exploit that relationship, Constanzo believed that his magic was at work the whole time. Whatever the truth behind his delusions, what mattered is that Constanzo believed them, and he intended to fulfill his destiny as a chosen one. For that, he needed a new

Nganga, and a safe place for it to reside, a temple. Excited to help El Padrino with his magic, Elio brought Constanceo to his family's 100-acre commune, ran to Santa Elena, where they housed drugs before moving them across the border. In a remote corner of the property stood a small dilapidated shed. Elio pointed it out to his master and asked if it was a suitable site for their temple. Constanzo thought it was perfect. Now he needed to create the Inganga, But unlike last time, he wasn't going to rob a grave for the cauldron's captive spirit, he'd tasted the power that came from murder, from sacrifice, and he wanted more.

Luckily, the perfect opportunity to spill blood presented itself in July of 1988. By this time, Constanza was splitting his time between Matamoros and Mexico City, whereas three original Ryado still lived. One of these followers was Jorge Montes, a man in his 50s who earned a living. living as a brouja like Constanzo, just not as renowned or wealthy. Jorge lived with a former lover and part-time drag artist known as Ramon Paz Esquivel.

Though they shared Jorge's small Mexico City apartment, they didn't get along. One day after a particularly nasty argument, Jorge paid a visit to El Padino to complain about his roommate. With a troubling grin, 25-year-old Constanzo promised to take care of the situation, and he wasted no time. That same night, he led Jorge, his boyfriend's Omar and Martine,

and another follower were back to Jorge's apartment. Then they waited. When Ramon eventually came home, El Padino gave the order, and his faithful subjects seized their victim, bound his wrists, and threw him in the bathtub. The torture that followed is too gruesome for us to get into here, but suffice it to say that Ramon's death was horrific, painful, terrifying and bloody.

When the screams of his victim grew too loud, when he was sure he'd extracted enough fear to make his Nganga powerful, Constanzo ended things. Then parts of Ramon were gathered for the cauldron, his fingers, toes, brain, and genitals, as well as a good deal of blood. With those necessary ingredients in hand,

the group bundled what was left of Ramon into three trash bags, along with Constanzo's blood-soaked clothes. Then they dumped the bags in an empty lot. Ramon's remains were brought to the tiny shed on the edge of Rancho Santa Elena, the perfect first offering for his Matamoros and Ganga. El Padino performed another ceremony to turn an ordinary metal vessel into his sacred cauldron. One Constanzo was sure would become the most powerful in history.

Now, with his new Angaga in place, Constanza was riding high. He was convinced that his rituals, his power, made him untouchable, that he could operate with complete impunity and no one could stop him. Arrogant and completely assured of his abilities, Constanceau decided that the Hernandez family would switch products, from marijuana to cocaine, typically a much more violent industry. He also insisted that his followers double cross suppliers. In August of 1988, he ordered two of his rayados to take delivery of a cocaine

shipment worth $800,000 without paying for it. Not surprisingly, the scammed gang didn't take it lying down and responded by kidnapping one of the Hernandez's, along with his two-year-old son. They held the pair hostage and sent a message that if they didn't get their money, they would kill them both. Panicked, Elio ran to Elis. Padino and begged him to rescue his kidnapped cousins. The ruthless mystic agreed, saying he could cast a spell of protection that would ensure the man's safe return. But for the spell to work, he needed to make a fresh sacrifice. Another human had to die. On August 12th, Elio picked up a weary hitchhiker, offering him a meal, some work, and a place to stay on his family's ranch. The grateful drifter accepted the offer,

and was likely looking forward to arriving at Rancho Santa Elena. But when Elio pulled his truck to a stop on the property's remote edges, it wasn't warm hospitality that awaited his guest. Members of the Hernandez family surrounded the truck and seized the confused, frightened hitchhiker. Constanzo, dressed in blood-stained whites, ordered his followers to bring the man into their makeshift temple. The group duct tape their captive and dragged to,

him into the dank shed, already reeking with the smell of rotting flash. They forced the man to his knees in front of the Anganga, then retreated, leaving only Constanzo and Elio to perform the ceremony. It was another gruesome display of violence. With each piece of his victim that he removed and placed into the Anganga, Constanzo beseeched the Palomaiombe gods and spirits of the dead to give his followers protection. He also asked for the safe return of Elio's hostage. He also asked for the safe return of Elio's hostage cousins and for the deities to smite the family's enemies. Towards the end of the ritual, El Padrena ordered Elio from the shed, leaving him to rape his victim on the filthy floor. When he was at last satisfied, when he felt that his gods had been

paid enough, he beheaded the man with a machete. Then he called his followers into the shed, and they watched him place the man's brain into the Inganga alongside Ramon. He handed Elio a knife and ordered him to cut out the dead man's heart too. It joined the putrid contents of the cauldron, sealing the sacrifice. For his Matamoros followers, the murder was yet another taste of El Padrino's terrifying bloodlust. They'd caught a glimpse of it when he shot the competing traffickers. But this was something different. Constanzo told his subjects that the torture had a purpose,

that if sacrificed souls didn't die screaming, they wouldn't serve the Anganga in the afterlife. He had to extract terror in their final moments. But it also appears that the 25-year-old genuinely enjoyed it. The fear, the pain, the power. It was the ultimate feeling of control. And it seemed to produce miraculous results. The day after the murderous ritual, Elio's cousin and his young son were released, and the kidnappers left town without the money the Hernandez family had stolen.

It's likely the men fled to hide from their own suppliers, who were no doubt missing their cut from the botched deal. However, to members of the growing cult, it seemed like proof of their godfather's immense power, which was reason enough for them to avoid getting on his bad side. But not everyone was convinced of their new leader's magic. When he made people Rialo, Constanza warned his followers that to poison their bodies with the drugs they trafficked

would mean instant death. Any spirits entering a body that had used drugs would know and kill their host. It was a lesson his own Padrino had taught him years earlier, and for the most part, people heeded the warning. But not everyone. Around the beginning of November, 1988, Sarah La Madrina, brought news to Constanzo.

One of their subjects had used some of the family's cocaine. As far as we know, it was just one. one time, but Adolfo Constanzo wasn't one to forgive simple mistakes. Soon after he learned of the betrayal, he gathered his subjects for a ceremony. He made a show of performing a ritual, then claimed that a spirit had told him of a traitor in their midst. Then, without warning, he lunged at 35-year-old Jorge Valente del Fierro Gomez and struck him with a machete.

The blow broke Valenti's jaw and sent him thudding to the ground. As he lay in a daze, Constanzo ordered his loyal followers to beat their friend. And so they did, viciously. They stabbed Valente, broke his bones, and when he'd finally had enough, El Padino produced a hammer and dealt the killing blow. Valente's blood was poured into the Anganka, strengthening it even further. But still, Constanceo wanted more, more blood, more power, more death. The following month, two more followers became victims. Both Joaquin Manso and Miguel

Garcia were police assistants of Salvador Alcorn and Rayado, but for some reason, Salvador was suspicious of the men. Both men unwillingly contributed blood and organs to Constanzo's vile and Ganga, feeding El Padrinos' growing sense of complete, incontrovertible power. And word of that power was spreading around Matamoros. In February of 1989, a small-time drug smuggler named Ezekiel Rodriguez Luna approached Elio Hernandez and his brother Ovidio. Over a drink, Luna proposed a deal on 800 kilograms of marijuana.

The Hernandez family business was no secret, he said, nor was their supposedly magical godfather. Luna had heard whispers that El Padino was torturing and perhaps even sacrificing people. Whether Luna truly believed the rumors he heard about Constanzo's powers, we're not sure. But Elio and Oviedo took his comments seriously. They reported immediately to Constanzo, who had them bring the talkative smuggler directly to him. Constanzo was interested in the drugs Luna offered, but he had no intention of paying for them.

He tortured the man, demanding to know the location of the stash. When he cut one of Luna's fingers off, the smuggler broke and provided directions to a warehouse. Then, just for fun, El Padrino removed two more of Luna's fingers and a nipple. Constanzo and eight of his men headed for Luna's warehouse, where two guards stood watch over the marijuana. Posing as cops, the Hernandez clan arrested the guards. 30-year-old Ruben Bela Garza and 23-year-old Ernesto Rivas Diaz and brought them back to Rancho Santa Elena. At the ranch, El Padino forced the three men to dig their own graves, then killed them with a spray of machine gun fire.

On his orders, his enthusiastic gang members set upon the still-warm corpses, cutting hearts, fingers, genitals, and brains to place in the Anganga. By now the Putrid Caldron held. various pieces of eight different victims. But just a week after the triple murder, Constanzo insisted that it needed more. He explained to his followers that the Anganga was like an engine that required refueling.

With so much success and progress, it was working overtime, burning more fuel. He ordered the gang to bring him another offering. The loyal Hernandez boys set out to do just that and kidnapped a man as he left a cafe in town. They bundled the man into a car, but he wouldn't stop screaming, bringing attention the gang knew would displease El Padino,

so they shot the man in the head and pushed his corpse onto the street. When they returned to the ranch empty-handed, Constanza was beside himself. They'd ruin the sacrifice. But Elio could make things right, El Padino said. Elio would perform the next sacrifice instead. So on February 25, 1989, Elio was a little bit of a lot of the day. Elio waited at the ranch while a group of men drove out to find a tribute. They found 14-year-old Jose Luis Garcia Luna, who was walking home from his job tending to the animals on a farm. The men pulled over and attacked the teenage boy right there on the highway.

They beat him, slid a sack over his head, and threw him into the back of a truck. When the group arrived back at Rancho Santa Elena, Elia was nervously waiting in the tiny temple. Costanzo's machete in hand. He ordered his family members to place the offering at his feet and didn't bother to remove the sack covering his face. If he'd stopped to look at his victim or even to torture him as El Padino usually did, things might have ended differently, but Elio was too cowardly to face the child he was about to kill. He simply brought the machete down into Jose's neck, severing his head from his body in one cruel blow.

In the quiet seconds after the murder, Elio took a closer look at the body sprawled in front of him. There was something familiar about the football jersey the boy was wearing, and it sent a cold shiver down Elio's spine. Desperately he scrambled to retrieve the boy's head and let out an anguished cry. He'd killed his own cousin. Unconcerned with his deputy's despair,

Constanso removed Jose's brain to place in the Anganga. then ordered Elio to cut out the boy's heart and lungs. The blood was drained into the fetid cauldron, completing another gruesome sacrifice. By this stage, Constanzo's confidence in what the cult's many sacrifices had given them was even stronger. In early March, he told some of his followers that the Hernandez clan was protected by a shield of blood. That meant that no police could see them and that bullets were incapable of piercing their skin.

Even with this supposed power coursing through them, Constanzo was ready for another sacrifice, just days later. On March 13th, he said that he wanted someone to kill that very night. So a group of his fathers went into town and accosted a low-level drug dealer who was peddling baggies of cocaine to American college students in a bar. The man who will call Fernando was dragged back to Rancho Santa Elena where El Pardino waited, a spider in his web. Inside the stinking shed, the ritual proceeded as most did, with horrific torture at Constanzo's hands. There was just one big difference. Fernando didn't scream. Nothing Constanceo did caused his victim to make a sound, which was a big problem.

If Fernando didn't die screaming, his spirit wouldn't serve the Anganga. The details of what Constanzo did to elicit a response from his victim are too horrific to mention. but nothing worked. In the end, the furious 26-year-old gave up and simply killed Fernando. It's likely that El Padrino was embarrassed by the whole affair. He'd failed at the one thing he knew he was best at, and he wanted to make absolutely certain it didn't happen again.

He wouldn't leave anything to chance next time. When Fernando's body was removed from the shed, Constanzo issued his followers another order. They were to bring him, another offering, and this time he wanted someone soft who would most certainly scream. He commanded them, bring me an American. Up next, one gullible follower brings Costanzo's empire crumbling to the ground. This episode is brought to you by Prime.

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In March of 1989, 26-year-old Adolfo Constanzo ordered his loyal followers to bring him a new sacrifice for his Anganga. After his previous victim had refused to scream, El Padino wanted someone more pliable. He insisted that the next victim be blonde, soft American.

Lying on the U.S.-Mexico border, it's not unusual to see American tourists in Matamoros throughout the year, especially during spring break. That's why 21-year-old Mark Kilroy was there in the early hours of March 14th. The college junior was heading back towards the border, when a truck pulled up beside him. The men inside offered Mark a ride, and in his alcohol-induced haze he got in.

Then they restrained him and drove the 16 miles to Rancho Santa Elena. The kidnappers left Mark tied up in the back of the car all night, sobering up and getting more terrified with each passing minute. By noon that day, all of Constanzo's Matamoros followers were assembled at Rancho Santa Elena for the ceremony. The loyal Riato watched as El Padrino shut himself in the shed with Mark. Inside, Mark was subjected to hours of horrific rape and torture before Constanzo finally killed him with a machete blow to the head.

Then El Padino placed the college student's brain into the Inganga, which he later told his followers would make the spirits smarter. Once that was done, Constanzo allowed his followers inside and ordered them to carve up the body to place various other organs inside. Then they buried what remained in a hastily dug hole, right next to all the other sacrifice victims. Like Constanzo's wealth, the makeshift graveyard had grown exponentially over the last year.

There's no telling how many more victims Constanzo might have claimed if things continued at pace. From his perspective, the bloody sacrifices were working, making him and his followers richer than they'd ever. imagined. But several things happened next that signaled a change in the weather. The first was the response to Mark Kilroy's disappearance. Until now, the missing victims of Constanzo's ceremonies had become little more than statistics in the huge number of people who went missing in Mexico each year. The mother of 14-year-old Jose Luis Garcia-Luna had tried

desperately to convince police to look for her son, but was turned away again and again. That worked in favor of Constanzo and his thugs. But in the case of Mark Kilroy, things were somewhat different. For starters, Mark's uncle was a U.S. customs supervisor in L.A., which likely spurred agents in Texas into action. Of course, U.S. authorities have no jurisdiction in Mexico, but before long, an informal task force to investigate the disappearance had formed in Brownsville. And with spring break contributing greatly to the local economy,

the mayor of Matamoros knew that if the case wasn't solved quickly, it could do irreparable damage to their town. Luckily, the town's new sheriff, Comedante Juan Benitez Ayala, stood against the corruption that typically defined the area's police action. So he agreed to help with the case. Benitez assigned local agents to accompany investigators, from Brownsville on their search. It was the kind of concerted effort locals weren't used to seeing for missing persons.

That year alone, 60 people had already gone missing from Matamoros, but it was only an American who generated action. Unfortunately, their efforts weren't producing any results. No one had seen Mark disappear, or at least no one who was game to talk about it, and Constanzo pointed to the failing investigation as more proof of his power. His protection spells had worked. They were untouchable. By late March, about two weeks after Mark's murder, El Padino was ready for another sacrifice, and he already had a candidate in mind.

Constanza had heard that Sarah La Madrina had been receiving attention from another man, her ex-boyfriend Hilberto Garza Sosa. Though he had no real interest in Sarah for himself, Constanza was furious that Sosa was trying to take her away. So he made the announcement to the group, Sosa was the next to die. Perhaps to reinforce his dominance over her, Constanzo had Sarah set everything in motion. On March 28, she called Sosa to invite him over to her apartment. When he arrived, Constanzo's men ambushed the 20-something and dragged him into a waiting car.

Back at the ranch, the gang set upon their prey, tearing at him with fists and knives. They cut away his clothes, then pieces of his body, before Constanzo handed one of his followers a knife. With glee, the Rayados slit Sosa's throat, after which the body was hung from the rafters, so the blood could drain into the Anganga. Even that wasn't enough for El Padino, and within days he demanded another sacrifice. And again, he had an ideal candidate in mind. 22-year-old Victor Saul Saucceda was a cop-turned-gankster who had a vendetta. against one of the more violent members of Constanzo's cult,

Alvado Dario de Leon Valdez, otherwise known as El Dubi. Victor made no secret that he wanted to kill El Dubi, and didn't trouble keeping his voice down when making fun of the family's religious beliefs. When word of this reached Constanso, he ordered Victor to be brought to him. On April 1st, Victor was abducted and brought to Rancho Santa Elena.

Inside the shed, the entire cult assembled to take turns. turns torturing their latest victim. Only Sarah remained outside the temple, waiting for her beloved Padrino to emerge, covered in blood. That same day that Constanzo punished an outsider for disparaging his cult, one of his faithful subjects, Seraphine Hernandez-Garcia, made a catastrophic mistake. The 20-year-old college student was on his way to Rancho Santa Elena

when he blew right past a police checkpoint. Seraphene was a law enforcement major from Texas, but his education didn't protect against his own gullibility. He believed El Padino's promise that cops literally couldn't see him, which is why he didn't stop at the checkpoint. Unfortunately, for Serafine and for Constanzo, the cops did see him, and they were very curious about why he sped past them. So a pair of officers tailed him all the way to Rancho Santa Elena and waited patiently until the coast was clear. Then they got around and explored the ranch a little. It was clear to the cops that the property housed a large drug smuggling operation, and they were swift to report their findings to Commandante Benitez. They also noticed a strange statue on the

property, one with a face made of seashells. To those in the know, it was a representation of Eligua, the trickster god of Santoria. When the agents mentioned their find to Benitez, the sheriff knew he was dealing with Bruholtz. Witches. Intrigued by this, and by what he knew of the Hernandez family's activities, Benitez ordered surveillance on the ranch and the Hernandez clan. Over the next week, members of Constanzo's cult were kept under close watch, while Benitez's team gathered evidence.

On a wiretap, they overheard Serafine mentioned various drug deals and a mysterious figure called El Padino. Talk of the drug deals was enough for investigators to move in, and on April 9th they raided the property. They founded drugstash and various firearms at the ranch, but didn't pay much attention to the tiny shed on Rancho Santa Elena's outskirts. Several members of the Hernandez family were arrested that day, including the gullible seraphene and pseudo-patriarch Elio.

Even in custody, the would-be king who'd bent the knee to El Padino was cocky. He told Benitez's agents that they couldn't hold him, he'd be free before long. But he was wrong. Along with beatings and food deprivation, one tactic was to mix hot sauce with soda water, then squirted up the nose of tight-lipped suspects. It's unclear exactly which of these,

if any, was used on the Hernandez members, but several cracked fairly quickly, one of whom was Serafine, who'd so recently believed El Padino's powers would protect him from all cops. Serafine confirmed that, yes, the Hernandez family were drug smugglers, and they'd killed people, including the missing American Mark Kilroy. When pressed for more details, he spilled everything, that their godfather was an American with magical powers,

that Constanzo should be worshipped and feared. He prattled on about the sacrificial murders and the success they enabled, about the horrific torture, and about their temple, the wooden shack on Rancho San Francisco. Santa Elena, so far overlooked by the investigators. Even after this confession, Serafine still believed he'd be free before long, that El Padino's magic would protect him. El Padino himself was less sure. Word of the numerous arrests spread through the cult quickly, and those who'd escaped agreed to go into hiding.

On April 10th, Constanzo, Sarah, and several others fled to Mexico City, city, while Serafine returned to Rancho Santa Elena to show police the cult's temple. The smell emanating from the wooden shack was overpowering, and no one wanted to go near it. Still, with guns drawn, the agents pressed forward into the temple of death. Inside, blood was splattered on every surface, and various rotting animal carcasses were strewn about. But all eyes were drawn to the Anganga at the center of the room. a congealed mass of blood, human and animal body parts, rotting brains, shell casings, peppers, scorpions, spiders, and other unidentifiable objects filling the vile cauldron.

Before any concerted effort was made to document the scene, a curandero or healer was brought into the space to perform a much-needed exorcism. Once the cleansing ritual was complete, Serafine led police to the makeshift graveyard. Then, at gunpoint, he was forced to dig up the bodies, though it quickly became clear that there were more than anyone expected. Even Serafine didn't know the full total. By April 13th, 13 bodies had been dug up, and the story was making headlines around the world. Local media dubbed the group Los Narcos Satanicos, the Narcosaetanus,

a group that seemed inspired by the group's drug connections and their devilish proclivity for human sacrifice. The story especially gained ground in North America, which was in the apex of the satanic panic. Thanks to the phenomenon of repressed memory therapy in the 1970s and 1980s, people were convinced that secret satanic cults existed among normal suburbanites, and that they carried out ritualistic sexual abuse of children. Of course, we now know that most claims of satanic ritual abuse were exaggerated, or just plain made up, but when stories of murders with some kind of ritualistic element emerged,

it contributed to the mass hysteria. So although Palo Mayombay had no connection to Christianity or its concept of Satan, the sensational story of human sacrifice fit the narrative closely enough that it fed the hellfire. Capitalizing on this panic, US politicians and investigators claimed credit for stopping the narco-Satanists,

stating that it was their investigation into, Mark Kilroy's disappearance that uncovered the cult's activities. This wasn't even close to the truth, and during multiple press conferences, U.S. agencies competing for glory shared false and misleading information about the cult, the real religions that inspired it, and the crimes themselves. It was likely these egregious missteps that cemented the narco-Satonist's place in the satanic panic mythos. Not everyone was concerned with accusations of devil-worship. In Texas, Mark Kilroy's parents offered forgiveness and asked people to pray for their son's killers.

Elsewhere, El Padino was in need of some prayers. He'd retreated with Sarah, his lovers, Omar and Martin, and the erratic El Dubi. The group moved every three days, disguising their appearance with haircuts and dye jobs. By now, their images had been splashed across the news, and everyone in Mexico was looking for the bloodthirsty cult leader, his boyfriends, and the Statueesque La Madrina. Speaking of Sarah, the 24-year-old had seemingly come to regret her involvement with Constanzo. Though she enjoyed the expensive cars and flashy lifestyle of being La Madrina, her confidence in her padrino had given way to despair.

At least, that's how she later recounted her experience to police. According to Sarah, she begged Constanzo to let her go home, but he refused. The only way she would go home, he promised. was in a box. Whether the others wanted to leave him as well is unclear, but it's likely that the fading El Padino kept his crew in line with threats of violence, both physical and magical.

One night after a couple of weeks on the run, the group were watching television in a hotel room when footage on the news shocked Constanzo into silence. It was the Rancho Santa Elena shack, their sacred temple, and it was on fire. Beside the burning structure, his cherished in Ganga was full of dancing flames. Authorities had been advised by anthropologists and ritual crime experts from Miami

that burning Constanza's temple and cauldron would drive the patrino crazy. They were right. When Constanzo saw his most powerful tool of flame, he lost it. He picked up a machine gun, aimed it at the television, and squeezed the trigger. When the Tifi set was nothing but shattered remains, Constanzo screamed and screamed and screamed. He screamed for over an hour, until he literally couldn't make a noise,

and still he tried to rage at the world. After that, he reportedly insisted that his followers agree to a suicide pact. He told them that because of his magic, they were all immortal. Only his bullets could kill them. So if they were captured, they'd be subjected to an eternity of police brutality in jail cells. But according to Constanso, if they all died together, then they would arrive in hell as a group.

Then, using his incredible power, he could bring each of them back to begin fresh lives, reborn on earth. With trepidation, they all agreed to El Padino's idea, but everyone hoped it wouldn't come to that. It couldn't. The final showdown took place on May 6th. 1989. Somehow, police had been tipped off to Constanzo's hiding place. That day, cops arrived on the street, perhaps to covertly canvass the neighborhood.

Constanzo saw them through a window and sprang into action. He seized his favorite machine gun, pointed it out the window, and fired. He pinned the cops down with the machine gun fire, then aimed at the propane tank, hoping to cause an explosion. With each passing minute, more and more police arrived, flooding the street. Eventually, the all-powerful Padrino realized it was hopeless. They were surrounded. In one breath, he told his crew that it was time to honor their suicide pact and ordered Omar to burn what remained of their cash.

When the money was alight, Constanzo handed his lover the machine gun and told him to honor his duty, shoot everyone, and then himself. But Omar, still hopelessly in love with Constanso, couldn't do it. So he handed the gun to El Dubei, who seemed to harbor no reservations about killing his Padrino. Then Constanzo climbed into a closet with Martin and shut the door. While Sarah egged him on, El Dubei aimed at the cupboard and squeezed the trigger.

Just like that, it was all over. Sarah rushed downstairs and entered the arms of waiting police officers, claiming she'd been held hostage for weeks. Omar and Valdez didn't feign innocence, but came quietly all the same. Once the three were in custody, more pieces of the puzzle fell into place. And though she tried to act the part of a doe-eyed captive, hoodwinked by a conman, Sarah couldn't resist showing off all that she knew about Constanzo and his activities. In questioning, she almost seemed to brag about the power she wielded as La Madrina.

Doing so sealed her fate. The El Padrino was dead and gone. He left his loyal followers behind to face all the consequences of his bloody actions. The narco-Satainists were paraded for the media and answered questions at press conferences, some of them happily spilling the gory details of their cult, and the powers Constanzo had promised. But there was no more protection El Padino could offer them. One by one, his followers, accomplices, and henchmen were charged with various crimes, though not all lived to face their punishment.

In February of 1990, 24-year-old Omar Francisco O'Rea Ochoa died of AIDS-related complications. In the coming years, others were sentenced on their charges. Sarah La Madrina Villarreal, Elio Hernandez-Rivera, and Serafine Hernandez-Garcia were given over 60 years in prison for their roles in the murders. In a way, this story's end feels unsatisfying, Though the villain was vanquished, his goons remained behind to pay the price for misdeeds he dreamt up.

But was their punishment equal to the horrific deeds they carried out, enabled, and profited from? Could anything be? If Adolfo Constanzo ever returns from hell, as he promised, we'll be sure to ask him. Thanks again for tuning into this serial killers and cults crossover episode. We'll be back soon with a brand new story. For more information on Adolfo Constanzo, amongst the many sources we used, we found Buried Secrets,

a true story of serial murder by Edward Hume's extremely helpful to our research. You can find all episodes of serial killers, cults, and all other Spotify originals from Parcast for free on Spotify. We'll see you next time. Have a killer week. Serial Killers is a Spotify original from Parcast, Executive producers include Max and Ron Cuddler, sound design by Anthony Valsick,

with production assistants by Ron Shapiro, Trent Williamson, Carly Madden, and Bruce Kitovich. This episode of Serial Killers was written by Joel Callan, with writing assistance by Abigail Cannon, fact-checking by Haley Milliken, and research by Brian Petrus and Chelsea Wood. Serial Killers stars Greg Poulson and Vanessa Richardson. A beloved 75-year-old man washing up getting ready for bed is brutally beaten and killed. Despite an exhaustive investigation, the killer avoids arrest and then strikes again. I'm Global News crime reporter Nancy Hixed. You might listen to a lot of true crime podcasts this year, but they're not crime beat.

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