Francisco Del Junco

Serial Killer

Francisco del Junco: The Miami Serial Killer Who Beat and Burned His Victims

Overview

Francisco del Junco was a Cuban-born American serial killer convicted of murdering four women in Miami, Florida, between August 1995 and March 1996. His victims were vulnerable women living in or frequenting areas affected by prostitution, homelessness and crack cocaine addiction. Del Junco approached the women with promises of drugs, money or sexual encounters before taking them to isolated locations where he attacked them. The four women were killed by severe blows to the head, reportedly inflicted with a metal pipe or another heavy blunt object. Afterward, del Junco poured gasoline over portions of their bodies and set them on fire. The burning appears to have been intended to destroy evidence and make identification more difficult. The repeated combination of blunt-force injuries, partial nudity and fire eventually convinced investigators that the deaths were connected.

Early Life and Mental-Health History

Francisco del Junco was born in Cuba on August 3, 1957. Accounts of his upbringing describe a troubled childhood marked by social rejection, epilepsy and serious psychological difficulties. He reportedly began taking medication for epilepsy when he was approximately three years old. As he grew older, he became increasingly withdrawn and fearful of other people. Del Junco later described hearing voices and experiencing disturbing visions beginning during his teenage years. He claimed that some of these visions involved priestess-like figures and black magic. He became paranoid and believed that people were attempting to harm or kill him. Although these claims later became important during legal arguments concerning his mental condition, they did not absolve him of responsibility for the four murders. In 1980, del Junco traveled from Cuba to the United States during the Mariel boatlift and settled in Miami. He lived near relatives and supported himself through a succession of ordinary jobs. At the time of his arrest, he worked as a dishwasher at Dan Marino's American Sports Bar and Grill in Miami's Coconut Grove neighborhood. Coworkers reportedly regarded him as dependable and generally pleasant, although he remained quiet and socially distant. Del Junco received psychiatric treatment and was admitted to the Miami Mental Health Clinic in 1987, 1988 and 1992. He also accumulated arrests for offenses that reportedly included burglary, theft, loitering and assaulting a police officer. Before the murders began, he stopped attending psychiatric appointments. Despite his documented problems, an earlier evaluation had not classified him as an immediate danger to society. ...

Confirmed Victims: (4)

Vida Hicks Age: (43), Date of Death: 1995-08

Francisco del Junco - Wikipedia