Pedro Lopez Research Paper

Abstract Pedro Lopez, also known as the Andes Killer, is a notorious serial killer known for murdering over 300 young women and girls in South America over 11 years. After his conviction for raping and killing over 100 murders in Ecuador, he was released on bail and to this day it is unknown what happened to Lopez after he was released in 1999, he was only 51 years old. From a traumatic childhood to being alone on the streets of Bogota, the capital of Colombia, during his teens, and being molested and raped on multiple occasions, he had a traumatic childhood and many traumatic events that could be the root of his obsession with innocence and killing young girls and women. This paper will examine the psychological and sociological theories of

He targeted victims who had indigenous roots and came from families with low economic means, he would lure them away and then rape and murder them (Serena, 2023). A native tribe caught him attempting to kidnap a 9-year-old girl, The Ayachucos tribe then proceeded with tribe law and buried him alive, but a Western missionary stopped them and sent him to the police where he was exiled from Colombia (Serena, 2023). He proceeded to go to Ecuador and continue his crimes until a woman caught him trying to take her daughter and the police brought him into custody and got a confession about where the bodies were located (Ignacio Blanco, n.d. ). He was only charged with the murders of 100 young women and girls, despite his claim to have killed 200+, which he served 14 years for when he was let out on good behaviour and declared sane (Ignacio Blanco, n.d.). He disappeared after his bail was paid in 1999, and no one knows where he is or where he went but in 2024 he would be 75 years old. Psychological Theories Many psychologists have examined Lopez’s life and all have different reasons as to why he committed the crimes he

Freud’s psychosexual stages of development focused on his observations of how children focus on pleasure as they mature and occur one after the other, fixations can form during these stages (Hawkes et al., 2001). al, 2001). The. The phallic stage focuses on the genitals as a source of pleasure and if there are issues during this stage then this stage can lead to overindulgence or avoidance of sexual behaviour (Hawkes et al. al, 2001). The. Lopez had molested his sister when he was 8 years old, an age that falls under the phallic stage, and by molesting his sister and being exposed to many forms of sexual abuse and assault in his life, Sociological Theory Despite the nature of Lopez’s crimes and his organised techniques, he was not a psychopath but a sociopath because his upbringing and surroundings are what formed his behaviours and personality and not his brain, although there has been speculation as to his mental health and whether he had any developmental