What happened
Colombian-born Pedro Alonso López confessed to killing large numbers of girls across the Andean region and was convicted in Ecuador after being captured in 1980.
The investigation
His arrest followed an attempted abduction in Ecuador and a widening investigation into missing girls. Police said his statements led them to burial sites and linked crimes across national borders.
What the courts or investigators concluded
López was convicted in Ecuador and later transferred to Colombia, where he was eventually released after legal and psychiatric proceedings. Reliable public records about his later movements are limited, and his current fate has long been uncertain.
Why the case remains significant
The case is a stark example of how weak information-sharing, vulnerable victims and cross-border movement can allow serial offending to continue for years.
Case context
Crime by Region organizes cases geographically so readers can move from one file to other investigations from the same country. For unresolved or contested cases, the wording above reflects the distinction between confirmed events, investigative theories and findings actually established in court.