José Antonio Rodríguez Vega placed his hands over 61-year-old Victoria Rodríguez’s nose and mouth on April 15, 1987. They had just finished having sex in her apartment. She trusted him. They met regularly. But suddenly, he was suffocating her. She struggled. Fought back. But within minutes, Victoria was dead. The first victim of Spain’s “Mataviejitas” – The Old Lady Killer.
Between April 1987 and April 1988, this handsome handyman murdered at least 16 elderly women in Santander, Spain. He posed as a construction worker offering home repairs. Gained their trust with his charming smile and polite manners. Then suffocated them with his bare hands. Sometimes he raped them before killing. Other times after. Then he carefully positioned their bodies in bed. Hands folded over their chests. Making it look like they died of natural causes.
For over a year, nobody suspected murder. Death certificates listed “natural causes.” Doctors saw elderly women dying. Nothing unusual. Until a local newspaper planted seeds of doubt. What if these weren’t natural deaths? What if a serial killer was targeting Santander’s grandmothers?
By the time police caught José Antonio in May 1988, they found a room in his house painted red. Inside? Dentures. Jewelry. Photographs. Televisions. Religious images. Trophies from all 16 victims. A museum of horrors hidden behind the facade of a respectable family man. This is the story of Spain’s Old Lady Killer.
José Antonio Rodríguez Vega’s Childhood: Violence, Abuse, and a Broken Family
José Antonio Rodríguez Vega was born on December 3, 1957, in Santander, Cantabria, Spain. He came from a humble family. The fourth of six children. His childhood was anything but normal.
A Father Who Drank and Beat His Mother
His father was a working man. But he had a drinking problem. Very aggressive. Extremely jealous of his wife. He beat her regularly. Insulted her frequently. Created an atmosphere of constant fear in the household.
His mother was also aggressive and violent. Extremely dominating. The oldest brother was an alcoholic, too. Very violent, like the father. These circumstances led the family to fight day after day. Arguments were common in the house.
A Quiet Boy With No Friends
At school, José Antonio was a reserved child. He rarely spoke. Had no friends. His academic performance was very poor. Despite having good behavior. For that reason, he only completed eighth grade of basic education.
When he turned eight years old, a traumatic event happened that marked him for life. He remembers that at that age, a 50-year-old widow, who was his acquaintance, abused him on multiple occasions.
The Widow Who Changed Everything
It all started with a simple touch. But as time passed, it became something intimate. After three months, he stopped seeing that woman. But inside him arose a fantasy of being with the widow. This led him to stimulate himself by thinking about her.
Later, those desires turned toward his mother. Despite his feelings of hatred and resentment, he had the fantasy and desire to be intimate with her. The idea of thinking about it tormented him. He knew it wasn’t right. But those thoughts didn’t abandon him.
During his time at school, he met a young woman named María Socorro. Then 14 years old. Both were attracted to each other. Soon, they started seeing each other very often. Until they formed a relationship.
The Early Jobs: Carpentry, Construction, and Learning to Charm
By this time, Antonio Vega worked in a carpentry shop. But he didn’t last long there. The owner of the establishment fired him because he sweated too much and stained the furniture.
After that, he learned the trade of construction work. Little by little, he developed in this profession. It was very easy for him to get clients. He was very charismatic. Had a trustworthy appearance.
Still Living With Violence
Even though Antonio worked, he continued living with his parents. And with one of his sisters, with whom he always argued for absurd reasons. On one occasion, he hit his mother and sister because they couldn’t agree on what to watch on television.
His character by then was violent. Just like his father. Who, by 1974, remained bedridden due to illness. When José Antonio turned 18, he had a strong argument with his father. Due to his violent impulses, he threw him in a wheelchair down the stairs.
The situation caused his mother to become furious. She kicked him out of the house.
The First Marriage: Sexual Dysfunction and Growing Violence
After that event, Antonio Vega decided to marry María Socorro in church. They had been dating for four years. She accepted. They united in matrimony. But opposition from the families was present. Since both were very young.
This caused Antonio to develop an aversion to his mother. And to his mother-in-law. With whom he also even fantasized.
The Problem That Destroyed the Marriage
The marital relations from the beginning were very problematic. Because José Antonio had a problem. He couldn’t maintain intimacy for more than a minute. Consequently, contact with his wife became increasingly difficult.
To avoid all kinds of contact, he told her he didn’t feel like it. Said he was tired. Unable to satisfy her, he began to be jealous of her uncontrollably. To the point of spying on her at her workplace.
Despite his problem, after some time the couple managed to have a son. However, Antonio wouldn’t be exactly happy. Now he had a family. His small son wouldn’t let him sleep at night. This increased his violent character.
The Night He Hit His Baby
One night in the middle of a crying fit from the little one, his desperate father approached the crib. Hit him to try to calm him down. Faced with Antonio’s attitude, his wife María thought about leaving him. In no way could he satisfy her. Living with him had become a nightmare.
But this behavior had an explanation. They would discover it years later.
The Accident That Changed His Brain
When Antonio turned 20, he suffered an accident while working on a construction site. A beam fell on his head. Left him unconscious for four minutes. Causing a cranial trauma. Since he refused to be treated, from then on, he was left with aftereffects. These caused him strong headaches.
The Motorcycle Rapist: Five Victims, 27 Years Sentenced
On October 17, 1978, the unexpected would happen. José Antonio was arrested. This was after some women identified him as their possible rapist.
Five Women Point Him Out
Five victims recognized him. He managed to rape two of them. The other three managed to escape. All coincided in the description of the subject. After attacking his victims, he fled on a motorcycle. This earned him the nickname “The Motorcycle Rapist.”
It wasn’t known at that time how many women he attacked. But it was suspected there had been many more. After this, he was sentenced to 27 years in prison. Of which he only served eight years.
The Letters That Reduced His Sentence
Due to his persuasion skills, showing himself repentant for his acts, he managed to get most of the victims who reported him to forgive him. Thus reducing his sentence.
At that time, the Spanish penal code allowed the nullification of a sentence in some cases if the victim forgave their aggressor. He took advantage of that. Wrote letters to the women from prison. Asked them for forgiveness for the acts committed.
Four of them forgave him. His sentence was reduced to only eight years. Despite the letters, he never showed repentance. Much less remorse. When they asked him why he had done it, he simply said he was bored.
His Wife Leaves Him
As a result of this, his wife decided to abandon him. Take their son. One year before his release, she obtained a divorce. Moved to another city.
Meanwhile, Rodríguez Vega was released in 1986.
Freedom and Rejection: The Seeds of Murder
After leaving prison, his mother tried to make peace with him. Offered him to return to his house in Santander. While he could stabilize. However, José Antonio hadn’t changed. Continued behaving aggressively.
Rejected by His Ex-Wife and Son
He tried to get back together with his ex-wife. But she denied him any contact. Even with his son. The young woman’s mother intervened in the relationship. Kicked him out of her house every time he came to see her.
This caused strong arguments that even came to blows. This provoked José Antonio to reach the point of wanting to end his mother-in-law’s life.
The Second Wife With Epilepsy
It didn’t take long to find love again. This time with a woman who suffered from a disability. He began a relationship with her. Only months later, he took her to his family home.
However, his mother refused to receive her. She didn’t approve that her son lived with a woman he wasn’t married to. Faced with such action, José Antonio kept great resentment toward his mother. Never forgave her for this.
From then on, he created a feeling of hatred toward his mother. And toward his mother-in-law. Who were the ones who caused the outcome of this case?
The Perfect Husband Facade
Months later, he decided to marry his current partner. She suffered from epilepsy. Saw him as a responsible man. The perfect husband. Very hardworking and honest. With whom she had a normal marriage. This is because she didn’t know his past.
Rodríguez Vega behaved like a complete gentleman with people. Tended to project kindness and a lot of trust. But behind that appearance was a meticulous and impulsive killer.
The First Murder: April 15, 1987
It was April 15, 1987. Rodríguez Vega would attack his first victim. It was Victoria Rodríguez, 61 years old. With whom he regularly had intimacy. Both were at her house chatting after having had relations.
The Moment Everything Changed
Suddenly, he lunged at her. Put his hands over her nose and mouth. Until he suffocated her. From then on, the need to murder arose. He applied the same modus operandi in each case.
All the murders were planned. Victims were selected in advance. All of them were lonely women of the third age. Between 61 to 93 years old.
The Perfect Predator: How He Selected and Killed
The way to deceive them was very easy. Sometimes he approached homes with any excuse. Being a construction worker, he offered some repairs. Knew perfectly what to say to alarm them.
His Many Disguises
On other occasions, he pretended to be an electrician. Handyman. Or a television technician. Being a man of pleasant appearance and educated, he easily gained their trust.
Reaching the point of offering to help them with other things. Like doing shopping for them. Or repairing some things in the home. He even offered himself as a companion.
The Stalking Process
Upon finishing the work for which they hired him, he insisted he would visit them regularly. So they wouldn’t feel alone. Seeing such a kind gesture from this subject, they agreed. Thought he was a good-hearted man. Who returned with the excuse of checking if he had done his work well.
It seemed that Rodríguez Vega had luck finding lonely elderly women. But it wasn’t so. Each victim was perfectly selected. Once he toured a certain area, he observed the elderly women. Made sure they lived alone.
After selecting one, he returned the next day. Wrote down everything they did. Schedules. People who visited them. How often did they go out? What things did they buy?
Entering Their Homes
After observing them for a while, he presented himself at their homes to offer his services. Due to his character, it wasn’t difficult for them to open the door. Taking advantage of some way of these people’s loneliness.
Once he entered the home after his next visit, he praised them. Told them they looked very pretty. During the chat, he took their hands. Suddenly caressed them inappropriately. Looking for a reaction on their part.
But as soon as they rejected him, he became enraged. Lunged at them violently.
The Murder Method: Suffocation and Staged Heart Attacks
After the assault, he covered their mouth and noses. Despite struggling with him, they could do nothing against his strength. In some cases, he squeezed so hard that dentures got trapped in the victim’s throat. Causing pulmonary edema accompanied by cardiac arrest.
Why Doctors Saw Natural Deaths
For this reason, doctors attributed their death to natural causes. Sometimes he was intimate with them after they had lost their lives. Other times, he used objects.
Once he satisfied his desires, he carried them. Took them to their bedroom. Once there, he laid them on the bed. Placed their hands over their chest. To simulate cardiac arrest.
In some cases, they were found after several days. In others, the assault was reported. Sometimes, family members noticed the lack of jewelry, watches, and even televisions. In addition to presenting bruises on the knees or face.
But authorities simply did nothing. Because everything pointed to natural causes.
The Three Cases That Raised Suspicion
Intrigue began when three victims managed to find some injuries in intimate parts. The first crimes were clean. He tried not to leave traces. Was very careful with details. For that reason, nobody suspected a crime.
But as he attacked, he became increasingly careless. This would lead to his detention.
The Investigation: A Business Card Leads to His Arrest
During April 1987 and April 1988, the increase in deaths of elderly women increased significantly. Suddenly, they discovered a relationship in the victims’ homes. All of them had done remodeling work before being murdered.
The Pattern Emerges
The Civil Guard was in charge of investigating the case. That’s when they discovered the similarity. The same construction worker had done some work days before the death of the elderly woman.
They didn’t take long to find this subject’s business card. So they didn’t hesitate to investigate him. In this way, they got the surprise that years before, he had been in prison for similar acts.
The Arrest: May 19, 1988
On May 19, 1988, on Cobo de la Torre street at 8 in the morning, when he was leaving his house to go to his construction work, he was surprised by police officers. They transported him as a probable suspect of having taken the lives of three elderly women.
The Names of Three Victims
Margarita González, 82 years old. Natividad Robledo, 66. Julia Paz, 71 years old. At first, he denied his participation in the events. But he didn’t take long to confess after the evidence against him.
What started with an accusation of three cases ended up being 16.
The Shock of His Arrest
Once his detention was achieved, it made a great impression. Nobody could imagine how that tall, good-looking young man, who was known in the city of Santander as an educated, kind, and seductive man, was the executioner of those elderly women.
The Red Room: A Museum of Horrors
Upon reviewing his home, agents were impressed. Without a doubt that Antonio Vega was the perpetrator of the acts. In a room wallpapered in red, there were memories of all his victims.
The Trophy Collection
Jewelry. Dentures. Photographs. Even clothing. Images of saints. Televisions. Each one of those objects had been extracted from the house of all of them. He hadn’t stolen them for the value they had. But because they meant something important to him.
It’s like remembering the event over and over again. It seemed like a museum of horrors. However, the trophies weren’t linked to all known victims. This implies there’s a great possibility that more victims exist.
The Trial: 440 Years for 16 Murders
Egocentric and cynical is how he appeared before the cameras. He wanted the whole world to know his face. During the trial, he denied having committed the crimes. Arguing they were blaming him for deaths from natural causes. That he wasn’t responsible.
Cornered by Evidence
But all the evidence was against him. In all cases, he was related. Seeing himself cornered, he assured that he was motivated by hatred toward his mother and mother-in-law. Since he wanted to take revenge on them.
He felt a sensation of trembling. Chills. The need to murder. That’s why he chose people similar in age. In addition, he also felt attracted to his mother since he was a child.
The Psychiatric Evaluation
With this said, the defense lawyer appealed for mental illness. However, the forensic psychiatry team that examined Rodríguez Vega before his trial declared they had to discern if it was a heartless psychopath or a human being with disturbed mental faculties.
Their reports were conclusive: “He preserves his sense of reality intact. He is capable of governing his acts. Being resistant to treatments, which darkens his prognosis. His dangerousness is very high.”
They reached the conclusion that his culpability was full. Because his intelligence was absolutely brilliant. Catalogued as a psychopath who lacks compassion and shame.
The Sentence
Finally, on December 5, 1991, José Antonio Vega was sentenced to 440 years in prison by the Provincial Court of Santander. For the crime of 16 elderly women and dishonest abuse. Thus serving the maximum sentence.
Prison Years: Studying Law and Competing With Another Killer
During subsequent years, he granted some interviews. Gave strong statements. Began studying law to be able to prove his innocence.
The Competition With “El Arropiero”
But his egocentrism played against him. By confronting another criminal known as “El Arropiero.” With whom he competed, describing each case. Each time more terrifying than the previous one.
In this way, he couldn’t achieve his goal of leaving under innocence. During the years he was in prison, he was transferred from one jail to another. At least on ten occasions.
Until Tuesday, October 22, 2002. He was transferred from Dueñas prison to the Topas Penitentiary Center. Where he would serve the rest of his sentence. Only eight years away from being free.
Death in Prison: 113 Stab Wounds
On October 24, 2002, José Antonio Rodríguez Vega was murdered with 113 stab wounds. In Topas prison in Salamanca. By two prison companions.
His Killers
Enrique González del Valle, known as “El Zanahoria” (The Carrot). Y Daniel Rodríguez Obelleiro. Who referred to him as a bad person. Liar. Snitch.
That day, Rodríguez Vega went out to the yard. Accompanied by seven inmates. At eleven fifteen, a dispute broke out. Between Vega and three other inmates. The two subjects mentioned above brutally ended him.
So brutal that his eyes ended up thrown on the ground.
Buried Alone
The next day, he was buried in a common grave in the prison. Nobody attended the burial. Remaining in that loneliness. Of which one day he took advantage.
The Real Count: How Many Victims Were There?
José Antonio Rodríguez Vega was convicted of murdering 16 elderly women. But investigators believe the real number is much higher. Here’s why.
The Missing Trophies
In the red room, police found trophies from the 16 confirmed victims. But the room wasn’t full. There were gaps. Empty spaces. Items that didn’t match any known victim.
This suggests José Antonio killed more women. Women whose deaths were never connected to him. Women who died alone. They were found days later. Death certificates said “natural causes.” Nobody investigated further.
The Timeline Doesn’t Add Up
Between April 1987 and April 1988, the deaths of elderly women in Santander increased dramatically. But José Antonio’s confirmed killing spree only accounts for some of those deaths. What about the others?
Investigators believe he may have killed as many as 30 women. Maybe more. But without evidence, without trophies linking him to other victims, those cases remain officially unsolved.
Why He Targeted Elderly Women: The Psychology
Forensic psychiatrists who examined José Antonio reached several conclusions about why he specifically targeted elderly women between 61 and 93 years old.
The Mother-in-Law Connection
He openly stated his hatred for his mother and mother-in-law. Both women had rejected him. His mother kicked him out twice. Refused to accept his second wife. His mother-in-law actively prevented him from seeing his son and ex-wife.
In his mind, every elderly woman he killed was a substitute for these two women. He was murdering his mother over and over again. Getting revenge for perceived wrongs.
The Childhood Abuse
The 50-year-old widow who abused him when he was eight years old created a twisted association in his mind. Sexual attraction to older women. Combined with rage. Combined with a need for control.
As a child, the widow controlled him. Made him do things he didn’t want to do. Now, as an adult, he controls elderly women. Made them do what he wanted. Then killed them.
The Sexual Dysfunction
His inability to maintain intimacy for more than a minute destroyed his first marriage. Created intense shame. Rage at his own inadequacy. Elderly women couldn’t reject him the same way younger women did. They were physically weaker. Easier to overpower.
After suffocating them, he could do whatever he wanted. No rejection. No judgment. Complete control.
The Charming Psychopath: How He Fooled Everyone
One of the most disturbing aspects of José Antonio’s case is how completely he fooled everyone around him. His second wife had no idea and neighbors saw him as kind and helpful. His clients trusted him completely.
The Mask of Sanity
Psychiatrists call this “the mask of sanity.” Psychopaths who can perfectly mimic normal human emotions. José Antonio was charming. Polite. Hardworking. Trustworthy.
But behind that mask? Nothing. No empathy, no remorse, and no genuine human connection. Just a predator studying his prey. Learning what to say. How to smile. How to gain trust.
The Business Card
The fact that he left business cards with his real name and address shows his arrogance. He didn’t think he’d get caught. Death certificates said “natural causes.” Nobody was investigating. He was invisible.
Until he wasn’t.
Lessons From El Mataviejitas
José Antonio Rodríguez Vega’s case teaches us several important things about serial killers who target the elderly.
Elderly Victims Are Invisible
Society failed these 16 women. When they died, doctors assumed natural causes. Nobody investigated. Nobody asked questions. Elderly people die. That’s normal. Right?
Wrong. Three of the victims had injuries suggesting sexual assault. But authorities did nothing. It took a newspaper raising concerns before anyone looked closer.
Loneliness Makes Targets
Every single victim lived alone. José Antonio specifically selected lonely women. Because nobody would miss them right away. Nobody would notice changes in their routine. Nobody would question a handyman doing repairs.
This case shows why we need to stay connected with elderly relatives and neighbors. Check on them regularly. Notice if something seems off.
Prior Convictions Matter
José Antonio spent eight years in prison for being “The Motorcycle Rapist.” Then got out. Within a year, he started killing. The system failed. Released a violent sexual offender. Didn’t monitor him. Didn’t protect potential victims.
Had authorities kept closer watch on him after release? Maybe these 16 women would still be alive.
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