Carlos Robledo Puch, the “Angel of Death”

The Victims

Between 15 March 1971 and 3 February 1972, eleven people were killed in the northern suburbs of Greater Buenos Aires in a series of crimes that would later be attributed to a single young man. According to Argentine press reports drawing on the court record, nine of the victims were men and two were women. Many were attacked without warning, either from behind or while they slept, which gave the killings a reputation for coldness that has lingered in Argentine public memory for more than half a century.

The man eventually convicted, Carlos Eduardo Robledo Puch, was born on 19 January 1952. He was 19 when the killings began, and his youthful appearance became part of the legend that earned him the nickname El Ángel de la Muerte, the Angel of Death.

A Year of Violence

The crimes unfolded over roughly eleven months in the area north of the capital. Press accounts also attribute numerous other offences to him during this period, including robberies and kidnappings. Among those who died was Héctor Somoza, described in Argentine reporting as Robledo Puch's accomplice, and who Red43 identifies as his last victim.

Arrest and Investigation

Robledo Puch was arrested in early February 1972, at the age of 20. Reports differ slightly on the exact day: Perfil gives 3 February, while a 2026 anniversary piece by the outlet Red43 dates his capture to 4 February. Red43 describes the arrest as almost accidental, explaining that investigators were led to him by evidence found with Somoza's body, which tied the dead accomplice directly to Robledo Puch. Once he was in custody, the separate killings were linked together into a single case.

Trial and Sentence

The case took years to reach a verdict. On 27 November 1980, Sala I of the appeals and guarantees chamber in San Isidro, with judges José Ignacio Garona, Bernardo Rodríguez Palma and Roberto Borserini, convicted him of the eleven murders. He received reclusión perpetua, described by Red43 as the country's maximum penalty, combined with an accessory measure of indefinite confinement. That additional clause has shaped every later debate over whether he can ever be released, because it ties his freedom to court findings about whether he still poses a danger. According to La Nación, Robledo Puch has continued to insist that he is innocent.

Five Decades Behind Bars

He spent most of his imprisonment at the Sierra Chica penitentiary in Buenos Aires province. In 2019, after surgery for appendicitis, he was moved to the Olmos prison. By early 2026 he had served more than 52 years, and Red43 describes him as the longest-held inmate in Argentine history.

Since 2008 he has repeatedly asked to be freed, arguing that he has already paid for his crimes. In June 2023 the San Isidro chamber again refused release or house arrest. La Nación reported that a court psychologist described him as manipulative and self-pitying, and that the judges pointed to his refusal of mental health treatment as a reason they could not conclude he was no longer dangerous. The same ruling ordered medical evaluations for health problems including an intestinal obstruction and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and asked provincial authorities to identify care facilities suited to his needs through the province's office for older people. In that case the court also looked into an offer from two women to house him, after investigators raised concerns about their background and possible interest in his family property; he ultimately turned down their guarantee.

The 2024 Open-Regime Offer

In November 2024, following a request from his public defender, Judge Oscar Quintana authorised his transfer to an open-regime setting under the Casas por Cárceles programme at Unit 25 of the Buenos Aires provincial prison service. The move depended on a place becoming available and on his consent. Robledo Puch, then 72, declined, telling evaluators that he was used to his situation and admitting he feared change. He has said he wants full freedom or nothing, and has asked instead to be allowed to live in a house inside the Sierra Chica grounds. La Nación noted that a criminological report in the file indicated he did not meet the requirements for conditional release, which call for favourable psychiatric and psychological assessments. Red43 reported in February 2026 that courts had consistently found his dangerousness persisted, and no release had been granted.

Why the Case Matters

The case remains a reference point in Argentina for the question of how long a life sentence can last. The indefinite accessory measure attached to his sentence means his release depends not only on time served but on expert evaluations of risk, and his refusal of treatment has repeatedly weighed against him. His advancing age and health problems have pushed courts to consider care options, and each new request still draws national press attention. More than fifty years after the killings, the case shows how one judgment can keep a prisoner's fate open for most of a lifetime.